LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


''''Electricity  became  the    agent  for   Fourth  of  July 

celebrations,  and  the  old  style  fire-works 

were  abandoned. " 


Looking  Forward 

The  Phenomenal  Progress 
of  Electricity  in  1912 


BY 

H.  W.  HILLMAN 

ILLUSTRATED  BY 

W.   L.  GREENE 


VALLEY  VIEW  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

NORTHAMPTON,  MASS. 
1906 


COPYRIGHT,    1906, 

BY 

H.  W.    HILLMAN 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

PUBLISHED    NOVEMBER,    1906 


Ta.rn.thro,> 


WRITINGS    OF    H.    W.    HILLMAN 


Paper  Read  Before  the 

Ohio    State    Electrical    Association  at   Cleveland 
in  1900 

Paper  Read  Before  the 

Pacific  Coast  Electrical  Transmission  Association 
at  San  Francisco  in  1900 

Paper  Read  Before  the 

National  Electric  Light  Association,  held    at  time 
of  Buffalo  Exposition  in  1901 

Paper  Read  Before  the 

Association    of     Edison     Illuminating    Companies 
at  Newcastle,  N.  H.,   in  1904 

Paper  Read  Before  the 

Michigan   State  Electrical   Association  at   Detroit 
in  1905 


DEPICATED    TO 

THE    MEMORY    or 

EDWARD  BELLAMY 

WHOSE  MARVELOUS  IMAGINATIVE  ABILITY 

WAS  ADMIRED  BY  THE  PEOPLE 

IN    ALL    PARTS   or 

THE  WORLD 


PREFACE. 

When  in  the  consideration  of  the  welfare  of 
all  nations  of  the  earth  a  book  is  written  like 
Bellamy's  "Looking  Backward/'  the  people 
of  the  world  not  only  admire  the  author's 
prophecies,  but  they  try  to  bring  about  those 
conditions  which  are  of  daily  help  in  the  pur- 
suit of  happiness  and  prosperity. 

The  last  generation  has  brought  about  many 
new  conditions  in  our  daily  living.  The  dawn 
of  another  generation  has  introduced  to  the  peo- 
ple conveniences  never  before  enjoyed  in  any 
part  of  the  world. 

It  is,  therefore,  preeminently  fitting  that  all 
the  citizens  of  the  earth  should  prepare  for  the 
year  1912.  On  the  morning  of  Decoration  Day 
in  that  year,  those  living  shall  witness  the  end  of 
a  quarter  of  a  century,  counting  from  the  year 
of  Bellamy's  book  in  1887. 

The  purpose  of  the  author  in  writing  this 
book,  LOOKING  FORWARD,  was  to  attract  the 
attention  of  the  people  to  the  many  evidences 
of  ideal  conditions  which  now  exist,  that  were 
prophesied  by  Bellamy;  also  to  present  to  the 
people  the  many  evidences  of  other  new  condi- 
tions destined  to  greatly  favor  the  domestic, 
social  and  industrial  relations  of  the  people  in 
the  pursuit  of  their  daily  vocations.  It  was  the 
intention,  likewise,  to  impress  upon  the  readers 
not  only  the  marvelous  progress  of  electricity, 
but  the  very  great  share  which  the  electrical 
industry  and  its  representatives  have  taken  in 
the  endeavor  to  bring  about  improved  conditions 
for  the  people  in  general. 

The  writer  anticipates  criticism  of  a  generous, 


PREFACE 

wholesome  character,  and  even  from  engineers 
of  well-known  electrical  ability,  but  calls  atten- 
tion now  to  the  wonderful  growth  of  the  electric 
street  railway,  born  as  late  as  1887 ;  to  the  rapid 
progress  of  the  telephone;  and  last,  but  not 
least,  the  phenomenal  extension  of  the  electric 
motor  drive. 

The  older  people  take  pride  in  the  accomplish- 
ments of  this  generation.  They  have  enjoyed  the 
many  advances  in  the  electrical  'arts,  even  as 
related  to  the  industrial  world,  but  now  as  we 
approach  an  era  when  domestic  relations  are 
closely  associated  with  the  modern  electrical 
conveniences,  they  will,  even  more  fully,  enjoy 
the  progress  following  such  advances  in  the  arts. 

The  younger  people  will  be  more  closely 
associated  with  electricity  in  the  'home,  the 
school,  the  college,  the  work-shop,  the  mercantile 
and  industrial  world.  In  the  morning  of  life 
they  will  cherish  the  interesting  and  beneficial 
electrical  associations;  at  noontime  in  their 
earthly  career  they  will  profit  from  the  oppor- 
tunities which  electrical  contrivances  will  afford 
them  in  1937,  and  as  the  evening  of  life 
approaches,  the  year  1962  will  find  them  watch- 
ing their  grandchildren  living  under  the  many 
ideal  conditions  which  surely  must  exist  at  that 
time. 

The  author  believes  that  quarter-century 
records,  at  least,  should  be  made  in  book  form, 
covering  the  domestic  and  industrial  conditions 
of  the  people  of  the  earth.  Thus,  by  such 
records,  shall  the  people  be  guided  toward  the 
earliest  and  greatest  pursuit  of  happiness  and 
prosperity  which  all  have  a  right  to  enjoy. 

H.   W.   HlLLMAN. 

Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  July  24,  1906. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Chapter  I. 
II. 
III. 
IV. 


V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 

XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 
XXIV. 


XXV. 
XXVI. 


Tom  Appleton's  Promotion. 

The  Electrical  Club. 

The  College  Ball. 

The  Electron  Pacific  Ex- 
press. 

Rebuilding  San  Francisco. 

The  Electrical   Convention. 

The  Automobile  Ride. 

The  Steamship  Electrania. 

Electrical  Works,  Rugvale. 

Evening  in  English  Home. 

Air  Ship  Excursion. 

The  Roses. 

In  Paris. 

Evening  with  Emperor. 

Submarine  Paintings. 

Electricity  in  Switzerland. 

Under  the  Alps  Mountains. 

Eruptions,  Mt.  Vesuvius. 

Electricity  Down  on  the 
Farm. 

The  People  and  the  Elec- 
trical Companies. 

Millville,  The  Electric  City 
of  the  World. 

The  -Dentist  'and  Prof. 
Stoenmitz. 

Electric  Arc  Lighting. 

The  Electrical  Co-operative 
Improvement  Associa- 
tion. 

The  Wedding. 

Twenty-Five  Years  After. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Frontispiece:  "Electricity  became  the  agent 
for  Fourth  of  July  celebrations,  and  the 
old  style  fire-works  were  abandoned/* 

Page  25:  "With  these  last  words,  they  said 
4  Good-bye/" 

Page  106:  "He  clutched  the  steering  wheel 
with  a  grip  of  iron." 

Page  155:  "The  silence  was  interrupted  by  a 
noise,  which  startled  them  all." 

Page  210:  "Gently,  softly  and  gracefully,  they 
glided  along  over  the  water." 

Page  310 :    Portrait,  Edward  Bellamy. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TOM  APPLETON 's  PROMOTION. 

"For  God's  sake,  throw  off  that  switch!" 
This  order  was  given  in  a  very  loud  tone,  and 
could  be  heard  distinctly  above  the  noise  of  re- 
volving electrical  machinery,  which  was  being 
tested  on  this  particular  night,  at  the  works  of 
the  Glendale  Electric  Company. 

Tom  Appleton  came  out  of  his  office  in  a 
hurry,  knowing  that  something  was  wrong.  He 
showed  no  signs  of  excitement,  and  in  a  calm 
tone  called  to  the  messenger  who  was  rushing 
past  him: 

"What's  the  matter?" 

1 '  Oh !  Mr.  Appleton ;  a  man  has  gotten  on  the 
lines,  on  the  arc  lighting  test,  down  at  the 
other  end  of  the  building.  Gome,  quick!" 

While  this  message  was  being  delivered,  they 
had  gotten  half  way  down  the  room,  and  Tom 
was  soon  at  the  scene  of  the  trouble.  He  saw 
at  a  glance  that  the  proper  aid  was  being  given, 
and  the  man  was  beginning  to  show  signs  of 
life. 

"How  about  the  ambulance?"  Tom  asked, 
turning  to  his  assistant. 

"It  will  be  here  directly,  as  we  telephoned 
immediately  after  the  shock." 

Not  for  a  second  had  they  stopped  working 
over  the  poor  fellow,  and  the  results  were  so 
encouraging  that  when  the  ambulance  arrived 

9 


10  LOOKING  FORWARD 

he  was  gently  placed  in  it  and  driven  to  the 
hospital. 

A  half  hour  later  Tom  Appleton  was  busy 
investigating  and  questioning  the  various  men 
in  the  testing  department,  with  a  view  of 
locating  the  responsibility  for  the  accident. 

"What  do  you  think  about  it,  Jim?"  he  said 
to  his  assistant. 

"Well,  from  all  I  can  gain  in  carefully  talk- 
ing with  the  boys  who  were  around  there, 
that  fellow  Sheldon  is  the  one  to  blame/' 

"Please  telephone  him  to  come  in  and  see  me 
immediately,"  said  Tom. 

Several  more  young  men  were  questioned,  and 
all  reported  the  same  thing;  that  a  notice  was 
plainly  visible  on  the  switchboard  to  the  effect 
that  a  man  was  working  on  the  line,  and  yet 
they  saw  Sheldon  carelessly  go  up  to  the  board 
and  deliberately  throw  the  switch  which  nearly 
cost  the  man  his  life. 

These  young  men  were  excused,  and  Sheldon 
was  ushered  into  the  office.  After  taking  a  seat, 
Tom  turned  to  him  and  said  in  a  quiet  voice: 

"Well,  Sheldon,  this  is  rather  -a  serious  of- 
fense against  you  this  time.  You  know  how  the 
company  feels  about  a  matter  of  this  kind.  It 
was  merely  by  the  slimmest  chance  that  this 
man's  life  was  saved.  Several  times  before  this 
you  have  been  so  careless  that  bad  mistakes 
have  resulted,  and  it  is  understood  in  the  man- 
ager's office  that  you  are  here  only  on  probation. 
What  have  you  to  say?" 

"I  haven't  anything  to  say,"  answered  Shel- 
don, "except  that  I  am  tired  of  this  -  -  test- 
ing room,  -and  I  shall  be  glad  to  get  out.  It  is  a 
dog's  life,  anyway.  My  father's  got  money,  and 
I  don't  care  about  staying  here  any  longer." 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  11 

"All  right,"  said  Tom,  "I  regret  to  make 
such  -a  report  to  the  general  manager,  but  your 
statement  forces  me  to  do  so.  That  will  be  all. ' ' 

The  next  morning  there  was  considerable  stir 
when  the  report  of  the  accident  was  placed 
before  Manager  Hammond,  and  he  was  exceed- 
ingly provoked  over  the  attitude  of  young  Shel- 
don. Instructions  were  issued  -at  once  that  he 
should  be  discharged  from  the  company.  At 
the  same  time,  the  manager  sent  for  Tom  Apple- 
ton,  requesting  that  he  should  call  in  his  office 
about  two  o'clock. 

That  morning  Tom  had  left  the  testing  de- 
partment as  usual,  about  six  o'clock,  and  on 
the  way  up  to  his  room  had  stopped  in  at  the 
hospital  to  see  how  the  invalid  was  getting 
along.  He  was  pleased  to  find  him  in  good 
spirits  and  physically  all  right,  except  for  some 
bruises  on  the  head  caused  from  the  fall  at 
the  time  of  the  accident.  After  assuring  him 
that  upon  his  return  to  work  some  form  of 
promotion  would  be  found  for  him,  Tom  went 
along  to  his  room,  to  secure  his  usual  day's 
sleep. 

At  this  point  the  reader  may  be  interested 
to  know  more  about  Tom  Appleton.  He  was 
born  in  the  small  town  of  Northington,  Mass. 
His  boyhood  days  had  been  spent  there  in  the 
Connecticut  Valley.  There  was  no  swimming 
pool  along  the  banks  of  the  old  Connecticut 
River  with  which  he  was  not  familiar.  At  an 
early  age  he  became  a  member  of  the  Northing- 
ton  Canoe  Club,  and  many  happy  summer  days 
were  spent  paddling  up  and  down  the  river 
banks,  and  sailing  along  those  shores  which  he 
loved  so  well. 

He  attended  the  grammar  schools  in  North- 


12  LOOKING  FORWARD 

ington,  but  at  the  early  age  of  twelve  was 
obliged  to  leave  and  commence  work  in  the  office 
of  a  manufacturing  plant  located  there  in  the 
town. 

While  his  schooling  had  given  him  but  <a 
limited  education,  his  evenings  were  spent  in 
studies  of  a  general  character,  and  coupled  with 
a  good  presence,  earnest  manner,  and  a  frank, 
honest  face,  he  was  soon  promoted  to  a  responsi- 
ble position.  For  several  years,  he  was  associated 
with  that  company,  receiving  a  salary  which 
permitted  him  to  live  comfortably,  free  from 
debt,  and  gradually  increase  a  bank  account 
of  no  mean  amount. 

However,  he  became  restless,  being  anxious 
about  his  future  prospects  there  in  the  factory, 
and  having  heard  a  great  deal  about  electrical 
engineering  and  the  extensive  field  which  the 
electrical  business  offered  for  a  young  man,  he 
determined  to  concentrate  his  studies  along 
the  lines  of  electrical  engineering.  The  Scrat- 
ton  School  of  Correspondence  offered  splendid 
inducements  for  the  electrical  course,  and  the 
terms  were  easily  within  the  reach  of  any  young 
man  of  ordinary  means.  Soon  after  he  com- 
menced these  new  studies,  the  rapidity  with 
which  he  became  acquainted  with  electrical 
terms  and  with  engineering  knowledge  was  sur- 
prising. It  was  not  long  before  he  knew  all 
about  the  electro-magnet.  He  could  fix  the 
electrical  door-bells  at  home,  when  they  were 
out  of  order.  He  could  intelligently  answer 
his  little  sister's  questions  as  to  why  the  trolley 
made  the  electric  cars  go  so  fast.  He  became 
quite  familiar  with  the  electric  generators, 
switchboards  and  transformers  at  the  Local 
Electric  Lighting  Plant,  and  even  volunteered  to 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  13 

explain  about  the  electric  meter  and  why  the 
monthly  bills  were  high  or  low;  usually  to  the 
general  satisfaction  of  the  neighbors — kind  good 
souls,  to  appear  as  if  they  understood  his  expla- 
nations, because  of  pride  for  their  neighbor's 
boy  who  would  soon  become  an  electrical  engi- 
neer. 

These  years  were  of  very  great  value  to  the 
village  boy,  and  many  a  time  since  then  has 
he  thought  of  the  Scratton  Correspondence 
School,  and  the  easy  manner  in  which  they  made 
it  possible  for  him  to  learn  the  rudiments  of 
magnetism  and  electricity,  thus  fitting  him  for 
duties  in  later  years  of  a  very  important  char- 
acter. 

They  furnished  him  books  for  specializing  on 
electrical  engineering,  also  small  printed  leaf- 
lets with  questions  relating  to  electrical  mattters, 
which  leaflets  were  mailed  to  Scratton  regularly 
two  or  three  times  a  week.  They  promptly 
corrected  the  lessons  and  returned  the  leaflets  to 
him  with  advice  and  encouragement,  marking 
him  excellent  or  otherwise,  according  to  the  ac- 
curacy of  his  answers.  It  is  only  just  to  state 
that  he  was  so  earnest  in  his  studies,  and  took 
such  a  deep  interest  in  the  course,  that  marks 
of  a  high  degree  of  excellence  were  frequently 
returned  to  him.  And  all  of  this  interesting 
and  valuable  data  and  knowledge  was  within 
the  reach  of  Tom  Appleton  for  only  a  very 
small  portion  of  his  weekly  salary.  His  father 
had  been  unable  to  send  him  to  college  because 
of  the  expense  involved;  yet  in  the  two  years' 
course  with  the  help  of  the  Scratton  Corre- 
spondence School,  he  was  able  to  accomplish 
more  than  many  of  the  collge  boys  with  their 
four  years'  course,  and  other  special  advantages. 


14  LOOKING  FORWARD 

The  course  was  finished,  a  diploma  had  been 
presented  to  him,  and  the  school  had  secured 
for  him  a  position  in  the  Electrical  Testing  De- 
partment of  the  Glendale  Electric  Company,  of 
Millville,  N.  Y.  It  was  a  happy  day  for  him 
when  the  letter  was  received  offering  him  a  posi- 
tion in  that  wonderful  Electric  Works.  He  had 
been  told  that  Thomas  A.  Edmunds,  the  great 
inventor  of  the  incandescent  lamp,  the  phono- 
graph, and  the  storage  battery,  had  lived  there 
in  Millville,  and  personally  worked  there  in  the 
shops  where  he  was  to  be  located.  He  had  left 
Northington  with  a  sad  heart  and  with  tears 
flowing  freely,  but  the  future  had  so  much  in 
store  for  him,  and  the  works  at  Millville  offered 
such  vast  opportunities,  that  he  took  up  his  new 
position  with  great  interest  and  enthusiasm, 
glad  at  heart  from  day  to  day,  and  cheerful  at 
all  times.  His  letters  home  told  of  the  wonderful 
machinery  that  was  under  construction.  He 
said  there  were  at  least  100  buildings  in  the 
Glendale  Electric  Works,  and  it  was  only  a  part 
of  their  factory  organization;  that  they  had  an 
electric  plant  at  Lundale,  Mass.,  where  more 
than  10,000  people  were  constantly  employed. 
Also  at  Harrington,  in  New  Jersey ;  and,  all  told 
they  employed  approximately  50,000  people  in 
connection  with  the  design,  manufacture,  and 
sale  of  electric  material. 

During  the  first  few  weeks  of  his  first  experi- 
ence at  Millville,  he  had  appreciated  the  train- 
ing which  the  Scratton  Correspondence  School 
had  given  him,  and  as  the  months  rolled  by  the 
tremendous  extent  of  the  business  appalled  him. 
Thousands  of  horsepower  of  electrical  machinery 
passed  through  the  testing  department  daily, 
and  the  thorough  method  of  testing  and  inspect- 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  15 

ing  was  of  very  great  interest.  Almost  every 
day  lie  was  elbow  to  elbow  with  the  prominent 
engineers  who  had  designed  the  apparatus,  and 
opportunity  was  offered  to  study  not  only  the 
testing,  manufacturing,  and  inspecting  of  elec- 
trical apparatus,  but  he  was  able  to  note  partic- 
ularly the  design  of  the  machinery. 

During  a  certain  period,  everybody  was  talk- 
ing about  the  steam  turbines  for  the  large  Power 
Company  at  Niagara  Falls.  Later  on,  it  was 
the  electrical  apparatus  for  the  Subway  in  New 
York  City.  In  that  testing  department  all  ap- 
paratus for  the  Philadelphia  and  Atlantic  City 
Electric  Railroad  was  tested.  The  motors  for 
the  Chicago  City  Railroad  passed  through  this 
young  .man's  hands  for  a  certain  class  of  test- 
ing, as  well  as  large  alternators,  switchboards, 
and  transformers  for  the  San  Francisco  Power 
Company.  So  the  days  went  by,  filled  with  valu- 
able knowledge  and  experience. 

At  first  it  seemed  as  if  this  young  man  was 
favored  with  a  great  degree  of  luck;  but,  upon 
careful  consideration,  it  was  simply  an  oppor- 
tunity which  comes  to  any  young  man  who  is 
sufficiently  thoughtful  to  take  advantage  of  the 
Scratton  Correspondence  School  in  its  elec- 
trical Course  and  then  follow  up  the  study  in  a 
representative  electrical  manufacturing  con- 
cern. 

Tom  Appleton  possessed,  first,  a  good  char- 
acter. He  was  honest  and  industrious,  also  am- 
bitious. He  was  sufficiently  well  read  to  know 
and  appreciate  the  opportunities  in  the  electrical 
business.  Having  established  such  a  founda- 
tion, it  was  comparatively  easy  to  take  advan- 
tage of  the  benefits  of  the  Scratton  School  and 


16  LOOKING  FORWARD 

then  the  opportunities  of  the  Glendale  Electric 
Company's  Works. 

He  had  been  working  in  the  testing  depart- 
ment for  about  a  year,  when  a  promotion  was 
offered  which  placed  him  in  charge  of  a  test. 
This  work  he  handled  so  well  that  in  another 
year  he  was  given  the  position  of  foreman  of 
the  night  test,  which  carried  with  it  a  good 
salary  and  brought  him  closely  in  touch  with 
the  works  management.  He  was  in  this  position 
when  the  accident  occurred,  referred  to  early  in 
the  chapter. 

This  was  in  the  year  1907,  which  will  be  long 
remembered  as  a  year  of  great  aggressiveness  in 
the  commercial  field  of  the  electrical  industry. 

Before  describing  Tom's  career  we  had  left 
him,  on  the  way  to  his  room.  Upon  arriving  he 
went  to  bed  immediately,  and  was  in  a  very  deep 
sleep  when  the  landlady  knocked  on  the  door.  It 
was  with  difficulty  she  awakened  him,  but  finally 
succeeding  in  doing  so,  and  stated  that  there  was 
a  message  from  the  works  manager.  Tom  hur- 
riedly dressed  and  went  downstairs,  where  he 
received  and  read  Manager  Hammond's  note, 
requesting  him  to  call  at  his  office  about  two 
o  'clock. 

Promptly  at  two  Tom  was  at  the  general  office 
and  five  minutes  later  he  was  ushered  into  the 
manager's  private  office.  As  he  entered  Mr.  Ham- 
mond looked  up  and  said  pleasantly: 

''Well,  Tom,  I  am  glad  that  last  night's  acci- 
dent did  not  cost  us  the  life  of  a  man.  I  was 
surprised  and  greatly  provoked  at  the  attitude 
of  that  fellow  Sheldon,  and  I'm  glad  he  is  now 
out  of  the  company.  He  was  a  dangerous  man 
to  have  in  the  works. ' ' 

"Yes,"  said  Tom,  "I  am  glad  to  be  relieved 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  17 

of  the  responsibility  of  having  him  in  my  de- 
partment. ' ' 

"How  is  the  man  who  was  hurtt"  asked  Mr. 
Hammond. 

"He  is  doing  even  better  than  I  thought," 
replied  Tom.  "I  stopped  in  at  the  hospital  this 
morning,  on  my  way  home.  His  head  is  bruised 
somewhat,  where  he  fell,  but  I  think  he  will  be 
out  in  a  few  days." 

*  *  Tom,  how  would  you  like  to  go  into  the  engi- 
neering department?"  asked  Mr.  Hammond. 

"I  have  been  thinking  for  some  time,"  said 
Tom, ' '  that  I  should  like  to  be  transferred  to  the 
engineering  department. ' ' 

"Well,"  said  Mr.  Hammond,  "I  guess  it  can 
be  arranged.  We  are  sorry,  Tom  to  have  you 
leave  the  testing  room.  Your  work  has  been 
very  satisfactory." 

Tom  thanked  him,  and  after  one  or  two  minor 
questions  were  answered,  he  left  the  office. 

About  the  same  time,  Frank  Sheldon  had 
reached  New  York,  and  had  just  finished  lunch- 
eon with  his  father,  at  their  Fifth  avenue  home. 
The  dining-room  was  filled  with  costly  furni- 
ture, and  elaborate  decorations  were  exhibited 
on  the  walls  and  ceilings.  Everything  about 
the  house  indicated  that  Frank's  father  was  a 
very  wealthy  man. 

Frank  was  welcomed  by  his  parents  in  a 
hearty  manner,  but  one  of  the  first  questions  his 
father  asked  was,  "Well,  Frank,  how  are  you 
getting  along  on  the  test  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  very  well,"  Frank  replied;  "just  now 
the  work  is  slack,  and  I  was  asked  to  take  a  few 
weeks  off.  I'm  rather  glad  of  it,  as  the  work  is 
tiresome  and  monotonous  to  me." 

"I  am  sorry  for  that,"  said  his  father;  "it 


18  LOOKING  FORWARD 

does  not  seem  to  me  that  the  work  .should  be 
slack.  The  general  business  of  the  electrical  in- 
dustry never  was  better;  I  hope  that  after  you 
have  rested  at  home  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  you 
will  return  feeling  better  and  enjoy  the  work. 
To  tell  the  truth,  I  was  expecting  you  would 
have  been  promoted  by  this  time.  The  oppor- 
tunities are  fine  in  those  works  and  as  soon  as 
you  become  an  electrical  engineer,  I  will  place 
you  in  a  good  position  in  connection  with  some 
of  my  large  electrical  properties. " 

With  this  statement,  he  retired  to  his  private 
office,  where  several  men  were  waiting  to  talk 
with  him. 

Mr.  Donald  Sheldon  was  a  man  about  fifty 
years  of  age.  Tall  and  slim  in  form,  with  rather 
wide  shoulders  and  a  strong  business  counte- 
nance, he  would  pass  for  a  good  looking  man.  He 
was  married  young,  had  settled  down  in  New 
York,  and  for  thirty  years  had  led  a  very  busy 
life,  the  last  ten  years  dealing  particularly  in 
electrical  companies.  Everybody,  including 
Frank  and  his  mother,  considered  him  to  be  a 
very  wealthy  man,  but  like  many  other  apparent- 
ly successful  business  men,  Donald  Sheldon  had 
been  able  to  live  from  year  to  year  in  grand 
style,  always  possessing  good  standing  and 
credit.  Some  years  before,  business  troubles 
had  worried  him,  but  as  he  squeezed  out  of  each 
tight  place  from  time  to  time,  he  became  hard- 
ened to  such  conditions,  and  now  while  he  was 
having  a  hard  time  to  hold  all  his  deals  together, 
yet  he  kept  it  to  himself,  and  neither  Frank  nor 
his  mother  knew  that  in  a  few  short  years  they 
would  be  practically  penniless. 

Frank  Sheldon  had  applied  himself  fairly 
well  in  the  high  school,  and  succeeded  in  getting 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  19 

into  Amherst  college;  but  notwithstanding  the 
earnest  talks  with  his  father,  and  the  appeals 
from  his  mother,  he  would  not  continue  after 
the  third  year.  In  the  first  place,  he  was  exceed- 
ingly lazy,  and  he  did  not  like  to  apply  himself 
to  the  tasks  necessary  in  order  to  be  graduated 
with  honors.  So  he  left  college,  and  through  the 
influence  of  his  father  a  position  was  given  him 
in  the  testing  room  of  the  Glendale  Electric 
Company.  He  had  no  appreciation,  whatever, 
of  his  obligations  to  his  father.  He  possessed  no 
sentimental  regard  for  his  mother's  feelings. 
He  failed  to  appreciate  that  he  did  not  have  the 
necessary  qualifications  to  enter  the  testing  de- 
partment of  the  Electrical  Company,  and  was 
admitted  simply  on  account  of  his  father's  in- 
fluence. It  was  this  same  carelessness  of  man- 
ner and  principle  which  led  him  to  absolute  fail- 
ure in  the  works,  and  then  to  deliberately  lie 
to  his  father  and  mother  about  it. 

He  and  his  mother  sat  there  at  the  table  for 
a  long  time  after  his  father  left,  discussing  many 
matters  pertaining  to  Frank's  personal  welfare. 
One  thing  in  particular  interested  his  mother, 
and  that  was  to  get  Frank  married  well. 

"You  are  now  getting  along  toward  twenty- 
three  years  of  age,  and  ought  to  be  thinking 
about  a  wife.  How  about  Evelyn  Tyler?" 

"I  should  like  ve»y  much  to  marry  her," 
said  Frank,  "and  I  don't  see  any  reason  why 
she  should  not  be  glad  to  be  my  wife.  Father 
is  very  wealthy,  and  I  shall,  of  course,  have  that 
money  some  day." 

Alas!  Frank  Sheldon,  your  careless,  mean 
ideas  are  to  get  you  into  trouble  all  too  soon. 
Neither  you  nor  your  mother  stop  to  think  how 
thoroughly  unqualified  you  are  to  be  the  hus- 


20  LOOKING  FORWARD 

band  of  such  a  noble,  high-minded  girl  as  Eve- 
lyn Tyler. 

One  block  above  the  Sheldon  residence  was 
the  Tyler  mansion.  Luncheon  was  finished,  and 
in  her  mother's  boudoir,  Evelyn  and  her  father 
were  talking  in  a  manner  entirely  different  from 
the  conversation  which  had  taken  place  that 
morning  in  the  Sheldon  home.  The  Tyler  family 
was  an  exceedingly  happy  one.  Evelyn  was  an 
only  child,  but  she  possessed  the  most  delightful 
disposition,  and,  with  kindly,  gracious  manners, 
was  beloved  by  everybody.  Nature  had  favored 
her  with  an  attractive  figure,  above  the  medium 
height,  well  designed  to  attract  attention  by  a 
commanding  presence.  A  face,  which  might  not 
be  called  handsome,  was  indicative  of  unusual 
intellectual  character,  and  a  great  degree  of  re- 
finement. The  features  were  more  than  passing 
fair,  if  not  perfect.  She  had  large  black  eyes,  a 
wealth  of  fluffy  hair,  and  with  a  most  kindly  ex- 
pression, she  might  well  be  termed  a  charming 
young  girl. 

While  quite  like  her  girl  friends  in  many 
other  respects,  Evelyn  possessed  one  character- 
istic somewhat  unusual  for  her  sex.  It  was  an 
earnest  desire  to  study  and  learn  all  about  elec- 
trical matters.  Her  father  had  been  associated 
with  the  electrical  business  since  1884,  and  when 
a  little  girl  she  had  evinced  a  great  interest  in 
traveling  about  the  country  with  him.  He  had 
taken  pains  to  show  her  the  apparatus  in  the 
many  stations  he  visited.  At  the  age  of  twelve 
she  could  talk  quite  intelligently  about  alter- 
nators, motors,  switchboards,  transformers,  met- 
ers, arc  lamps,  etc.  Her  father  was  very  much 
pleased,  as  he  loved  the  electrical  business  and 
was  entirely  wrapped  up  in  it.  He  would  bring 


APPLETON'S  PEOMOTION  21 

home  books  and  bulletins  relating  to  new  devices 
and  their  applications,  and  they  talked  over 
such  matters  together,  with  great  interest  to 
themselves  and  much  benefit  to  Evelyn.  She  had 
finished  school,  and  now  at  eighteen  years  of  age 
was  planning  to  enter  the  girl's  college,  at 
South  Holly  Falls,  Mass.  Her  mother  and  father 
were  talking  the  matter  over  with  her  this  par- 
ticular afternoon. 

"I  have  learned,  father,  that  the  college  has 
a  complete  electrical  course,  and  I  am. sure  I 
should  like  to  take  that  course  more  than  any 
other. " 

"I  think  it  is  all  right,  Evelyn,"  said  Mother 
Tyler;  "there  are  so  many  electrical  appliances 
coming  into  use  nowadays  in  the  home  that  it  is 
highly  important  for  a  young  woman  to  study 
and  know  all  about  them. ' ' 

"I  understand,"  said  Mr.  Tyler,  "that  that 
college  makes  a  specialty  of  educating  girls  to 
know  all  about  housework,  cooking,  etc.,  as  well 
as  training  them  in  many  other  intellectual 
ways. ' ' 

"Yes,"  said  Evelyn;  "and  I  am  so  pleased 
with  the  idea  that  I  wish,  father,  you  could  go 
up  to  Northington  and  see  if  we  could  not  rent 
a  house  there.  They  say  it  is  a  beautiful  spot, 
delightfully  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Con- 
necticut River." 

"Well,  we  will  all  go  up  there  together  next 
Friday  afternoon,  if  you  would  like,"  he  ans- 
wered. 

"Yes,  indeed,  father,  I  would  be  awfully 
pleased;  and  so  would  mother,  I  am  sure." 

Mother  Tyler  nodded  assent,  and  the  next 
Friday  they  all  went  to  Northington  to  select 
the  house. 


22  LOOKING  FORWARD 

In  the  old  Appleton  house  at  Northington 
there  was  great  rejoicing.  Tom's  letter  had 
been  received  telling  them  all  about  his  promo- 
tion, the  larger  salary  he  was  to  receive,  and  his 
plans  for  sending  his  sister  E ethyl  to  college  at 
South  Holly  Falls.  There  was  surely  happiness 
in  the  old  home  that  night.  The  dream  of  her 
life  was  to  be  realized,  and  Eethyl  Appleton  was 
the  proudest  girl  in  the  whole  of  Northington. 

Tom  thought  she  was  the  best  and  sweetest 
girl  he  had  ever  known.  Her  love  and  admira- 
tion for  him  was  also  of  an  unusual  sort.  Tom 
was  nearly  twenty-five,  and  he  had  always  con- 
sidered Eethyl  as  his  little  sister,  yet  she  was  a 
girl  of  eighteen  summers. 

Before  Tom  had  left  home  to  go  to  Millville 
his  sister  had  been  one  of  his  constant  compan- 
ions. They  were  very  frequently  seen  on  the 
street  together.  She  often  met  him  at  the  office 
and  they  walked  home  together.  On  Sunday 
mornings  Tom  and  Eethyl  never  failed  to  walk 
to  church  together.  From  Sunday  school  they 
returned  walking  beside  each  other,  and  again  in 
the  evening  the  neighbors  could  tell  the  exact 
time  of  day  because  of  the  regularity  with  which 
Tom  and  Eethyl  went  by  to  the  Sunday  evening 
service. 

When  Tom  was  studying  the  electrical  course, 
his  sister  took  the  keenest  interest  in  his  prog- 
ress. She  familiarized  herself  with  a  great 
many  of  the  electrical  terms,  tried  to  appreciate 
what  different  devices  were  designed  to  do,  and 
Tom  explained  to  her  the  many  devices,  and 
told  her  his  plans  for  the  future.  A  few  years 
later,  when  he  had  to  leave  home,  it  nearly 
broke  her  heart,  for  she  loved  him  more  than 
anyone  knew.  But  they  made  the  best  of  it,  and 


APPLETON 'S  PROMOTION  23 

corresponded  freely,  so  that  as  time  went  on 
E ethyl  became  well  acquainted  with  Tom's  work. 
He  sent  her  the  electrical  magazines,  and  ad- 
vised her  what  electrical  articles  of  manufacture 
were  most  popular.  One  summer  when  Tom 
was  home  he  wired  the  old  house,  and  then  after 
returning  to  Millville  he  sent  samples  of  electri- 
cal devices  to  E  ethyl  for  her  room,  and  for  the 
convenience  of  his  mother;  such  articles  as  the 
electric  chafing  dish  and  the  hair  curler  were 
exceedingly  interesting  at  first,  but  when  Tom 
sent  a  pipe  lighter  and  electric  shaving  mug  for 
his  father,  and  E  ethyl  saw  the  extent  to  which 
these  devices  might  be  used  in  the  home,  she 
thought  of  making  a  special  study  of  electrical 
engineering  at  college.  She  wrote  to  Tom  about 
it,  and  whenever  he  came  home  they  talked 
about  it,  and  he  made  up  his  mind  that  in  some 
way  he  would  arrange  for  her  to  attend  college 
and  take  the  electrical  course. 

Therefore  the  Appleton  household  was  the 
scene  of  much  rejoicing,  not  only  because  of 
Tom's  success  and  recent  promotion,  but  because 
he  had  written  to  Eethyl  that  now  she  could 
arrange  to  attend  college. 

Such  was  the  situation  when  the  Tyler  family 
had  moved  into  the  old  Denniston  place  on  the 
hill,  and  settled  there  <as  one  of  the  neighbors  of 
the  Appleton  family.  Eethyl  had  seen  Evelyn 
Tyler  pass  the  house  several  times,  but  had  not 
had  a  good  opportunity  to  speak  with  her.  One 
afternoon,  however,  she  was  just  leaving  the 
house  to  go  downtown  when  Evelyn  came  along 
at  the  same  time.  They  spoke  to  each  other  and 
then  walked  along  together.  Evelyn  thought 
that  Eethyl  was  lovely.  She  had  talked  to  her 
mother  about  having  seen  her  on  the  street,  and 


24  LOOKING  FORWARD 

was  very  anxious  to  meet  and  talk  with  her. 
Now  that  they  had  actually  become  acquainted, 
her  impressions  of  E ethyl  were  even  more  favor- 
able. They  walked  on  together,  and  became 
more  and  more  in  sympathy  with  each  other 
when  learning  how  closely  their  plans  for  col- 
lege work  compared.  Evelyn  told  about  her  am- 
bitions ;  how  her  father  and  mother  had  come  up 
to  Northington  to  look  for  a  house,  and  to  ar- 
range for  living  there  while  she  attended  South 
Holly  Falls  college  for  girls.  Then  Eethyl  told 
about  her  brother  Tom,  his  connection  with  the 
large  electrical  works  at  Millville,  and  her  un- 
ceasing interest  in  the  subject  of  electricity. 
They  thought  how  wonderful  that  they  should 
be  thrown  together  so  naturally.  They  each 
vowed  that  there  was  a  divinity  shaping  their 
ends,  and  helping  them  on  toward  the  promo- 
tion of  high  ideals. 

Finally  Eethyl  asked,  "How  do  you  like  the 
new  home  here  ? '  ' 

"We  think  it  is  lovely,"  replied  Evelyn.  "It 
was  a  surprise  to  all  of  us  to  find  the  house  fully 
wired  for  all  kinds  of  electrical  appliances.  In 
fact,  it  is  not  only  wired,  but  the  landlord  had 
equipped  the  kitchen  with  an  electric  outfit ;  the 
laundry  has  a  washing  machine  operated  by  an 
electric  motor,  and  is  equipped  also  with  an  elec- 
tric flat-iron.  In  the  pantry  a  small  motor  is 
installed  for  cleaning  silver,  sharpening  knives, 
turning  the  ice-cream  freezer,  and  such  things. 
Oh !  you  must  come  up  and  see  us,  and  meet  my 
mother  and  father. " 

"Yes,  I  will  be  glad  to  do  so,"  said  Eethyl. 
"In  our  house  many  of  the  convenient  devices 
have  been  sent  home  to  us  by  Tom,  but  it  is  get- 
ting quite  common  for  landlords  to  equip  their 


With  these  last  words,  they  said,  'Good-bye. '  " 


APPLF  TON'S  PROMOTION  25 

houses  as  you  have  stated.  They  rent  much 
easier.  In  fact,  it  is  difficult  to  rent  a  house,  or 
to  sell  one,  which  is  not  electrically  equipped." 

"Yes,  I  know  father  has  often  said  that  his 
houses  piped  for  gas  only  were  not  desired  by 
the  class  of  people  who  wanted  that  particular 
kind  of  a  house  in  that  neighborhood.  He  said 
that  some  years  ago  he  had  to  have  them  all  re- 
wired in  order  to  keep  them  rented. " 

"Do  you  not  think  the  location  up  on  the  hill 
is  lovely?"  asked  Eethyl. 

"Yes,  it  is  most  'delightful.  My  bedroom 
faces  the  East,  and  I  am  awakened  each  morn- 
ing by  the  sun  streaming  into  the  room.  We 
have  already  named  the  house  *  Valley  View/ 
as  the  scene  from  our  piazza  down  over  the  Con- 
necticut Valley  .is  beautiful.  We  all  sit  there 
on  the  veranda  in  the  evening,  and  just  bubble 
over  with  enthusiasm  for  the  location,  the  house, 
the  stable,  the  city,  and  everything  hereabout. 
We  have  been  here  too  short  a  time  to  meet 
many  people,  but  I  am  sure  that  you  and  I  will 
become  friends.  You  will  come  over  a  little 
while  this  evening  just  to  meet  mother  and 
father.  I  want  them  to  see  you  and  know  you. ' ' 

So  with  these  last  words,  they  said  good-bye. 
Eethyl  had  to  go  in  a  different  direction,  and 
they  parted  with  the  understanding  that  she 
would  call  and  meet  Evelyn's  parents  in  the 
evening. 

When  Evelyn  returned  home  about  five 
o'clock,  her  mother  was  on  the  veranda.  She 
could  hardly  wait  to  tell  her  all  about  the  meet- 
ing with  Eethyl. 

"Mother,  you  must  see  her  and  know  her.  She 
is  the  loveliest  girl!  We  walked  all  the  way 
downtown  together,  and  talked  every  minute." 


26  LOOKING  FORWARD 

"I  guess  that's  right,"  said  her  father,  as  he 
came  out  of  the  house,  and  listened  to  the  last 
few  words. 

"I  am  so  pleased,"  continued  Evelyn;  "her 
brother  Tom  is  to  send  her  to  college,  and  she 
has  selected  South  Holly  Falls  seminary  for 
girls.  We  can  now  feel  sure  that  we  have  not 
made  any  mistake  in  our  selection,  father." 

"No,  Evelyn,  I  am  very  well  pleased,"  said 
her  father,  "but  you  must  accept  the  credit  for 
it  all.  You  and  your  mother.  I  have  not  en- 
joyed myself  so  much  in  years  as  during  this 
past  week." 

They  had  tea  served  out  on  the  piazza.  The 
birds  sang  sweet  choruses  in  the  woods  near  by, 
as  if  to  emphasize  their  earnest  desire  to  wel- 
come such  good  people  in  that,  their  own  section 
of  this  country.  The  hens  had  commenced  one 
by  one  to  locate  themselves  in  the  old  apple  tree 
on  the  west  side  of  the  house,  preparing  to  roost 
for  the  night.  Across  the  valley  the  shadows 
were  deepening,  the  purple  colored  mountains 
were  fast  losing  all  but  their  general  outline, 
and  the  darkness  of  night  was  stealing  over  that 
beautiful  scene.  One  by  one  the  electric  arcs 
were  lighted,  and  from  the  Valley  View  resi- 
dence there  was  a  glorious  vision  before  them, 
illustrating  the  marvelous  progress  of  electric 
illumination. 

Up  the  pathway  came  E ethyl  Appleton.  She 
was  dressed  in  white,  with  a  light  shawl  thrown 
around  her  shoulders  for  protection  against  the 
night  air.  As  she  came  on  the  veranda  Mrs. 
Tyler  noticed  what  a  dear,  sweet  face  she  pos- 
sessed, and  she  was  glad  at  once  that  Evelyn 
had  such  a  companion  near  them  for  her  asso- 
ciate. 


APPLETON'S  PROMOTION  27 

"Eethyl,  we  do  not  need  any  introduction," 
said  Mrs.  Tyler.  "  Evelyn  has  told  us  all  about 
you,  and  we  are  glad  to  have  you  call  and  make 
your  acquaintance." 

This  was  said  in  such  a  motherly  tone  as  to 
put  Eethyl  at  ease  the  first  thing,  and  when 
Father  Tyler  arose  and  took  her  by  the  hand, 
she  felt  that  s"he  had  been  favored  to  meet  such 
a  lovely  family. 

"I  understand  you  have  a  brother  in  the  great 
electrical  works  at  Millville,"  said  Mr.  Tyler. 

"Yes,"  said  Eethyl;  "he  has  been  there  for 
several  years." 

"It  is  a  large  plant,"  he  continued.  "I  was 
once  through  it,  and  was  very  much  impressed 
with  its  size  and  the  organization.  Of  course, 
Evelyn  has  told  you  we  are  all  interested  in 
electricity. ' ' 

"Yes,  it  was  a  great  pleasure  to  know  that 
she  is  to  attend  college  and  take  the  electrical 
course.  Perhaps  we  shall  get  on  even  faster  by 
studying  together.  I  am  to  take  the  electrical 
course,  also." 

Eethyl  did  not  stay  late,  but  before  leaving 
they  all  went  with  her  over  each  room  in  the 
house,  and  enthusiastically  explained  about  each 
new  device.  Here  was  a  luminous  radiator  in 
the  dining-room,  a  shaving  mug  in  the  bath 
room,  the  heating  pad,  the  cigar  lighter  in  the 
den,  and  all  manner  of  conveniences.  At  the 
back  door,  the  switch  turned  on  the  light  in  the 
stable.  They  even  showed  her  the  electric  run- 
about, and  the  way  the  electrical  company  had 
installed  the  rectifier  for  charging  the  batteries. 

And  after  Eethyl  had  said  good  night  and  ar- 
rived home  again,  her  mother  and  father  listened 
with  the  utmost  interest  to  her  story  of  the 


28  LOOKING  FORWARD 

visit,  and  how  not  only  Evelyn,  but  her  mother 
and  father  seemed  as  pleased  to  meet  her.  She 
told  them,  too,  of  the  message  she  brought,  re- 
questing her  parents  to  come  up  and  see  them 
and  be  neighborly. 

This  then  relates  the  manner  in  which  the 
two  girls  became  acquainted,  and  the  following 
chapters  will  indicate  how  firmly  they  main- 
tained that  friendship. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  ELECTRICAL,  CLUB. 

Five  years  have  quickly  rolled  by,  and  it  is 
commencement  time  at  the  South  Holly  Falls 
college.  On  this  particular  morning  in  June, 
1912,  Evelyn  Tyler  was  over  in  the  electrical 
laboratory  taking  a  last  glance  at  the  place 
where  she  had  spent  four  very  happy  years. 
Scientific  instruments  surrounded  her  on  all 
sides.  The  voltmeter  and  the  ammeter,  so  com- 
monly used  in  her  work,  lay  there  on  the  shelf, 
face  upward,  almost  ready  to  speak  out  and  let 
her  know  that  they,  too,  had  keenly  enjoyed  as- 
sociation with  her.  She  gave  one  lingering 
glance  and  then  passed  out,  taking  the  well  worn 
path  over  the  campus  to  her  room. 

She  had  no  idea  whatever  of  the  surprise  that 
was  awaiting  her.  The  Electrical  club,  con- 
sisting of  about  twenty  girls,  had  gathered  there 
in  Evelyn's  room,  and  as  she  entered  they  sa- 
luted her  cordially  with  cheers.  She  was  actually 
commanded  to  sit  down  in  her  own  room  and 
await  their  wishes.  Requesting  silence,  E ethyl 
Appleton,  who  had  been  asked  to  make  the 
speech,  arose  and  said: 

"Evelyn,  you  have  been  the  President  of  this 
Electrical  club  ever  since  its  organization,  four 
years  ago.  Through  your  energetic  efforts  and 
leadership  it  has  been  a  grand  success.  We  have 
all  benefited  from  its  associations.  From  the 


30  LOOKING  FORWARD 

start  we  admired  our  President,  and  from  year 
to  year  this  admiration  increased  to  a  very  close 
friendship,  which  has  now  ripened  into  a  love 
which  we  fondly  cherish.  We  desired  to  show 
our  affection  and  love  in  some  substantial  man- 
ner, and  have,  therefore,  selected  as  a  token 
some  devices  which  will  be  connected  with  your 
daily  life.  In  behalf  of  the  Electrical  club  of 
the  South  Holly  Falls  college,  I  present  you 
with  these  pieces."  At  this  point  she  removed 
a  silk  covering,  disclosing  a  beautiful  silver  elec- 
tric dining-room  service. 

The  incident  was  so  entirely  unexpected  that 
Evelyn  was  not  only  taken  by  surprise,  but  was 
overcome  with  emotion.  She  was  fully  capable 
of  responding  to  such  a  speech,  but  her  heart 
was  full  and  overflowing  with  appreciation  for 
the  love  which  these  girl  friends  were  exhibiting. 
Her  eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  before  anyone 
was  hardly  aware  of  it,  they  were  all  sobbing 
and  talking  at  the  same  time.  The  formal  re- 
sponse was  never  made,  but  the  girls  of  the 
Electrical  club  had  ample  evidence  on  that  morn- 
ing that  Evelyn  Tyler  most  heartily  appreciated 
their  gift.  Time  and  time  again  she  looked 
over  those  dainty  pieces,  and  assured  the  girls' 
that  she  would  use  them  almost  daily  at  her 
home,  and  that  they  would  always  remind  her 
of  the  happy  days  and  evenings  spent  at  that 
dear  old  college. 

Before  parting  they  had  a  more  or  less  infor- 
mal meeting  of  the  club,  and  each  pledged  her- 
self to  the  other  that  they  would  continue  to 
take  a  very  active  interest  in  electrical  matters, 
even  though  the  college  course  had  been  finished 
and  they  were  leaving  the  scene  of  actual  electri- 
cal training. 

"The  best  evidence  I  can  give  of  my  inten- 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  31 

tions,"  said  Evelyn,  "would  be  to  tell  you  that 
I  am  going  to  San  Francisco  next  month  to  at- 
tend the  meeting  of  the  National  Electrical  As- 
sociation. You  will  remember  that  my  father 
is  President  of  that  organization." 

A  young  lady  from  South  Carolina  said:  "As 
you  know,  I  joined  our  local  Woman's  Club 
sometime  ago,  and  am  taking  particular  interest 
in  the  cooking  class.  I  have  promised  to  give  a 
series  of  lectures  this  fall,  explaining  fully  each 
and  every  electrical  device  used  in  the  kitchen, 
its  cost  compared  with  old  coal  and  gas  devices, 
etc.  You  can  count  on  me,  Evelyn,  to  keep  up 
this  spirit  of  enthusiasm." 

"My  way  of  aiding  the  cause,"  said  another 
young  lady,  "is  in  connection  with  one  of  my 
friends  who  is  to  be  married  soon.  She  intends 
to  start  housekeeping  at  once,  and  we  have  talked 
the  subject  over  very  carefully.  She  says 
that  she  would  not  think  of  having  any  coal  or 
gas  devices  in  her  house." 

Just  then  Eethyl  Appleton  spoke  up,  and  said 
that  her  brother  Tom  was  so  enthusiastic  in 
connection  with  the  electrical  business  that  she 
surely  would  keep  up  her  study  and  work  for 
the  industry. 

This  reference  to  Tom  Appleton  reminded 
Evelyn  that  she  and  Eethyl  were  to  meet  him 
at  two  o'clock  in  Springvale,  and  they  were  to 
have  an  afternoon's  auto  ride  to  Northington. 
Just  before  breaking  up  the  meeting,  Evelyn 
gave  them  a  last  parting  word. 

"Do  not  forget,  girls,"  she  said,  "that  we  are 
the  representatives  of  an  industry  which  has  an 
important  bearing  on  the  home  life  of  our  coun- 
try. It  is  not  merely  the  electrical  device  itself 
in  which  we  are  selfishly  interested,  but  our  aim 
has  been,  it  is  now,  and  will  continue  to  be,  that 


32  LOOKING  FORWARD 

of  promoting  the  introduction  of  conveniences 
in  the  homes,  the  saving  of  time  and  labor  in 
connection  with  household  duties.  So  long  as 
the  women  of  this  country  continue  to  do  the 
housework,  just  so  long  shall  we  urge  that  the 
duties  in  the  kitchen  shall  be  made  as  light  and 
easy  as  possible.  It  has  been  about  five  years 
now  since  the  great  electrical  flat-iron  campaign 
was  started  here  in  this  country.  At  that  time 
we  were  just  about  considering  what  college  we 
should  attend.  You  will  remember  the  first 
meeting  we  held  to  discuss  what  policy  this  club 
should  adopt  regarding  the  subject.  Thankful 
we  are  that  an  aggressive  policy  was  adopted, 
and  this  club  has  been  instrumental  through  its 
college  paper,  its  letters,  and  magazine  articles, 
in  widely  spreading  the  advantages  of  the  elec- 
tric iron  among  the  homes.  Yes,  we  have  not 
only  been  an  active  party  in  the  campaign,  but 
we  have  had  the  pleasure  of  watching  the  grand 
results  of  our  efforts.  From  year  to  year  the 
campaign  continued.  Residences  and  small 
homes,  which  were  not  wired  for  electricity  when 
the  campaign  started,  have  been  equipped  for 
using  electricity,  and  now  in  this  year  of  1912 
there  is  hardly  a  home  in  the  country,  which  is 
not  favored  with  an  electric  flat-iron. 

"Girls,  do  not  be  discouraged  if  you  are  ac- 
cused at  times  of  being  masculine  and  bold  be- 
cause you  are  taking  such  an  active  interest  in 
the  electrical  industry.  Why  shouldn't  you  do 
so?  Your  everyday  life  is  associated  with  elec- 
trical matters.  In  your  home  there  is  not  a 
room  in  the  house  but  which  has  some  device 
operated  by  electricity.  Three  times  a  day  our 
meals  are  cooked  by  electricity.  In  sickness  and 
in  health  we  are  surrounded  by  these  devices 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  33 

which  are  inseparable  with  our  daily  lives. 
Therefore,  why  shouldn't  we  watch  the  advances 
in  the  art,  the  growth  of  the  industry,  and  insist 
that  we  are  rightfully  selected  to  pass  upon 
what  devices  shall  be  introduced  in  our  homes. 
All  of  these  electric  household  devices  we  have 
seen  universally  introduced  in  all  parts  of  the 
country  and  all  classes  of  homes,  but  the  subject 
of  universal  cooking  and  baking  by  electricity 
has  been  our  pet  hobby.  When  we  first  consid- 
ered it,  you  remember  how  mountainous  it 
looked,  and  some  of  us  almost  felt  that  we  could 
not  ascend  the  steep  heights  which  the  subject 
seemed  to  require.  But  the  electrical  art,  girls, 
is  a  wonderful  art.  Its  hidden  secrets  are  nu- 
merous; they  are  unfolded  to  us  gradually,  and 
the  ways  and  means  have  been  forthcoming 
which  have  enabled  us  to  surmount  the  difficul- 
ties. Those  interested  in  the  electrical  business 
were  naturally  the  first  people  in  the  world  to 
appreciate  the  advantages  of  cooking  and  bak- 
ing by  electricity.  The  industry  being  spread 
over  the  entire  country,  the  experience  was  dis- 
tributed among  several  thousand  homes.  We 
all  know  what  happened  a  year  or  two  later, 
how  the  Woman's  Club  in  every  city  and  town 
took  up  the  subject  and  became  intensely  inter- 
ested, and  as  the  years  rolled  by  there  has  been 
a  gradual  introduction  of  the  electric  cooking 
system.  I  received  this  morning  a  telegram 
from  a  friend  in  Chicargon  as  follows: 

"  CHICABGON,  June  16th,  1912. 
"  Miss  EVELYN  TTLEB, 

"South  Holly  Falls  College,  Mass. 

"  I  learn  that  Chicargon  Edmunds  Electrical  Company  has  today 
reached  the  one  thousand  mark  in  connection  with  installation  of 
electric   kitchen  equipments.    Wish  you  much  success  connection 
with  finishing  your  electrical  course  and  graduation  exercises. 
(Signed)     CLARA  NEWMAN." 


34  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Here  the  girls  applauded  vigorously,  and  it 
was  some  time  before  Evelyn  could  finish.  In 
closing  she  urged  them  to  frequently  read  Bel- 
lamy's "Looking  Backward/'  to  keep  saturated 
with  his  ideas  of  improvement  in  social  and  in- 
dustrial life ;  but,  above  all,  to  cherish  those  noble 
ideals  which  tend  to  promote  convenience,  pleas- 
ure, and  happiness  in  the  home. 

With  these  parting  words,  the  girls  left 
Evelyn's  apartments,  while  she  and  Eethyl 
made  preparations  to  leave  for  Springvale. 

While  the  above  mentioned  meeting  was  going 
on,  Tom  Appleton  had  been  speeding  along  in 
his  electric  car  on  the  old  Westvale  turnpike. 
He  had  left  Millville  the  afternoon  before,  with 
his  new  Edmunds  Electric  Touring  Car,  and 
had  had  one  of  the  pleasantest  and  most  success- 
ful trips  imaginable.  Arriving  at  Springvale 
about  one  o'clock,  and  not  expecting  the  girls 
before  two,  he  drove  over  to  the  Mansion  House 
and  had  a  quick  lunch.  Having  finished,  he 
sauntered  out  into  the  lobby  and  lighted  a  cigar. 
There  was  nothing  in  particular  running 
through  his  mind  except  that  he  was  soon  to  see 
his  sister,  and  was  getting  nearer  his  own  home 
again.  It  was  always  a  source  of  much  happiness 
to  him  to  make  periodical  visits  to  the  old  home, 
but  there  was  nothing  in  his  mind  on  this  par- 
ticular afternoon  to  warn  him  that  in  the  future 
he  would  be  attracted  there  for  a  reason  which 
had  not  even  entered  his  thoughts  before. 

He  looked  at  his  watch,  and  seeing  that  it  was 
nearly  two,  threw  away  the  cigar,  and  walked 
up  the  stairway  to  the  ladies'  room.  There  were 
the  girls  just  entering,  and  as  his  sister  Eethyl 
caught  sight  of  him,  she  rushed  over  and  threw 
her  arms  around  his  neck,  giving  him  such  a 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  35 

fond  embrace  that  there  was  no  question  about 
the  deep  affection  which  they  felt  for  each  other. 
Tom  asked  immediately  about  his  father  and 
mother,  and,  receiving  a  reply  that  they  were 
very  well,  he  turned  to  greet  his  sister's  friend, 
Evelyn  Tyler.  A  picture  met  his  sight  which 
Tom  remembered  through  all  his  life.  He  saw  a 
girl  of  twenty-two  summers,  standing  there  be- 
fore him  whose  height  was  above  the  average, 
exhibiting  a  form  that  was  tall  and  commanding. 
But  Tom  was  impressed  particularly  with  the 
face  and  the  eyes.  Evelyn  Tyler  possessed  a 
countenance  full  of  intelligence  and  indicative 
of  a  high  degree  of  refinement,  and  when  she 
smiled  and  looked  straight  at  Tom  with  those 
large  black  eyes,  he  felt  a  new  sensation  never 
before  experienced.  While  Tom  had  never  made 
a  practice  of  noticing  ladies'  gowns,  he  caught 
himself  secretly  admiring  the  stylish  and  dainty 
manner  in  which  this  young  lady  was  dressed. 
These  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind 
instantly,  but  his  sister  noticed  that  he  was 
slightly  embarrassed,  and  was  glad  when 
Evelyn  said: 

"Mr.  Appleton,  I  am  greatly  pleased  to  meet 
you  again;  Eethyl  and  I  have  been  looking  for- 
ward to  this  ride  with  much  pleasure,  ever  since 
she  received  your  letter. ' ' 

"It  is  a  pleasure  to  me  also/'  said  Tom;  "I 
have  come  all  the  way  from  Millville,  alone,  and 
shall  be  delighted  to  have  company  the  re- 
mainder of  the  way.  If  you  are  ready,  we  can 
start  any  time." 

So  they  went  down  the  front  stairs,  and  there, 
in  front  of  the  ladies'  entrance,  was  the  electric 
touring  automobile.  It  was  a  handsome  car- 
riage, designed  to  please  the  most  artistic  taste, 


36  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Tom  expected  that  the  two  girls  would  take 
seats  behind,  but  Evelyn  said,  if  he  did  not 
mind,  she  would  like  to  sit  in  front  and  talk'  to 
him.  They,  therefore,  started,  seated  side  by 
side,  with  E  ethyl  in  the  back  seat,  and  Tom,  who 
had  mastered  the  control  of  ten  and  fifteen  thou- 
sand horsepower  steam  turbines,  handling  all 
manner  of  tests  on  them  with  ease,  was  now  so 
embarrassed  and  flustered,  he  could  hardly 
answer  the  questions  which  Evelyn  was  firing  at 
him  in  quick  succession. 

"How  do  you  like  the  electric  auto  for  tour- 
ing?" she  asked. 

"It  is  splendid,"  said  Tom;  "I  would  not  go 
back  to  the  old  style  automobile  for  anything." 

"I  should  think  it  would  be  fine,"  continued 
Evelyn.  "I  have  used  an  electric  runabout  for 
two  or  three  years,  and  am  thoroughly  in  love 
with  it." 

"The  other  day,"  said  Tom,  "I  was  looking 
over  some  old  automobile  magazines,  printed 
several  years  ago,  and  it  is  amusing  to  note  what 
troubles  were  experienced  with  the  old  rubber 
tires.  You  will  remember  that  as  soon  as  the 
new  Edmunds  battery  came  into  general  use, 
the  electrical  manufacturers  commenced  most 
extensive  investigations  and  experiments  on  au- 
tomobile tires.  The  new  battery,  you  see,  made 
it  worth  their  time  and  attention  to  improve 
the  tires.  The  tires  nowadays  are  so  durable 
and  inexpensive  that  the  people  do  not  realize 
what  a  great  advance  was  made  when  the  new 
tire  came  out." 

"Yes,  I  know !  My  tires  never  give  any  trou- 
ble. Father  often  says  they  are  like  the  old 
metal  rim  tires  which  were  on  our  coach.  They 
never  wore  out,  as  I  remember." 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  37 

Tom  still  continued:  "There  is  every  reason 
why  the  electric  automobile  should  win  out.  The 
battery  question  and  the  tire  question  solved, 
left  only  the  motor  for  consideration.  Now  the 
electric  motor  has  been  universally  adopted  for 
all  classes  of  work,  in  the  factory,  the  home,  and 
in  mercantile  life.  By  reason  of  the  survival  of 
the  fittest,  it  has  replaced  the  gasoline  motor. 
Therefore  the  gasoline  motor  could  not  live  for 
automobiles  only.  It  could  not  compete  with 
electric  motors.  It  was  a  case  of  enormous  pro- 
duction of  the  electric  motors,  ever  increasing  in 
quantities  for  all  kinds  of  applications,  in  all 
phases  of  life,  against  the  limited  production  of 
gasoline  motors  for  a  very  limited  demand.  Of 
course,  it  took  some  years  to  see  this  state  of 
things  brought  about,  but  it  is  now  plain  to  note 
why  the  electric  car  has  won  out.  The  people 
know  and  appreciate  all  the  advantages  which 
it  possesses,  and  as  the  electrical  companies 
placed  charging  electrants  freely  in  all  parts  of 
cities  and  prominent  country  roads,  the  electric 
automobiles  boomed  beyond  expectation. " 

* '  How  far  have  you  traveled  without  recharg- 
ing?" asked  Eethyl. 

"I  have  gone  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
miles,  but  my  usual  practice  is  to  charge  as 
often  as  every  hundred  miles,  when  touring. " 

They  were  now  passing  the  Springvale  race 
track,  and  Evelyn  was  telling  him  all  about  the 
last  football  game  there,  between  Harvard  and 
Yale.  Eethyl  chimed  in  occasionally  with  some 
amusing  incident,  and  before  Tom  knew  it,  he 
was  really  enjoying  himself  heartily.  After 
many  years  of  continual  confinement  in  connec- 
tion with  business,  it  did  not  come  easy  to  him 
to  drop  the  subject  and  have  a  real  jolly  good 


38  LOOKING  FORWARD 

time.  But  these  two  young  ladies  were  exceed- 
ingly entertaining,  and  Tom  found  himself  chim- 
ing in  with  them  and  laughing  and  talking  as 
freely  with  Evelyn  Tyler  as  if  he  had  enjoyed 
her  acquaintance  for  years. 

It  was  with  the  keenest  pleasure  that  he  lis- 
tened to  her  accounts  of  historical  happenings 
there  in  the  Connecticut  Valley  during  the  old 
Indian  War  times.  Tom  had  read  of  them  dur- 
ing his  school  days  at  Northington,  but  Evelyn 
had  recently  been  studying  and  reading  about 
that  section  with  unusual  interest,  and  she  had 
grown  to  fondly  love  that  beautiful  valley  and 
all  its  historical  associations.  From  her  bed- 
room window  at  home  she  could  see  the  Con- 
necticut River  as  it  curved  gracefully  around 
the  bend  from  the  Hatvale  shores,  down  past  the 
old  Holly  Bridge,  and  on  beyond  was  the  famous 
" Ox-bow,"  where  the  waters  had  gradually 
worn  away  the  banks  on  the  Northington  side, 
and  given  to  that  part  of  the  river  the  above 
name,  due  to  its  peculiar  shape.  Then  for  a 
stretch  of  several  miles  it  flowed  gently  on  to- 
ward the  old  Hockanom  Ferry.  It  was  here  on 
this  beautiful  spot  that  the  Northington  boys 
had  built  the  home  of  the  Canoe  Club.  Many 
were  the  happy  days  spent  along  the  banks  of 
that  dear  old  river. 

Tom  loved  these  old  scenes,  and  as  they 
reached  a  point  where  Mt.  Tong  and  Mt.  Hall- 
ypke  could  be  seen  in  the  distance,  he  told  the 
girls  about  his  many  thrilling  experiences  dur- 
ing boyhood  days,  when  with  his  chums  he 
roamed  the  mountains  from  base  to  summit  and 
from  end  to  end. 

As  their  road  was  so  close  to  the  Mountain 
Park,  Tom  suggested  that  they  stop  awhile  and 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  39 

go  up  on  the  mountain.  This  pleased  the  girls 
also,  and  they  soon  reached  the  grove  and 
were  strolling  around  among  the  trees,  watching 
the  people,  and  particularly  the  small  children 
that  were  having  such  a  good  time  romping  and 
playing  on  the  grass. 

''What  a  great  benefactor  the  electric  railway 
has  been/'  said  Evelyn!  "Think  of  the  thou- 
sands of  poor  people  who  come  to  this  park  with 
their  families,  for  a  fare  of  five  cents  each  way, 
who  cannot  afford  any  other  means  for  leaving 
the  city  and  getting  a  breath  of  air.  I  come  here 
often  just  to  watch  these  people,  and  see  the 
happiness  which  their  faces  show  they  are  ex- 
periencing. " 

"What  is  that  building  over  there?"  asked 
Tom. 

"That  is  the  theater,"  replied  Evelyn.  "For 
ten  cents  extra  the  people  can  see  vaudeville  en- 
tertainment of  a  high  class.  It  is  exceedingly 
popular.  You  would  wonder  how  the  railway 
company  could  offer  it  for  such  a  small  sum  un- 
less you  can  appreciate  the  enormous  crowds 
who  patronize  the  place." 

Eethyl  here  suggested  that  they  take  the  side 
line  and  go  on  up  to  the  station,  where  the 
Electric  Incline  Railway  would  enable  them  to 
ascend  the  mountain.  No  sooner  said  than 
done,  they  were  on  their  way.  It  seemed  to 
Tom  that  only  a  few  short  years  had  made  a 
great  change  up  in  that  section.  He  told  them 
about  the  old  stage  road,  and  how  tiresome  and 
tedious  a  trip  it  then  was  to  go  up  the  moun- 
tain, but  now  as  they  stepped  into  that  com- 
fortable car,  and  commenced  to  ascend  with  ease 
and  pleasure,  once  again  there  came  across 
Tom's  mind  how  great  and  important  was  the 


40  LOOKING  FORWARD 

subject  of  electricity.  While  many  years 
earlier  there  had  been  inclined  railways,  elec- 
tricity was  the  first  power  to  bring  the  poor 
people  to  such  places  for  an  insignificant  sum, 
and  afford  them  pleasure  and  amusement  which 
had  previously  been  accorded  to  the  wealthy 
families  only. 

It  was  a  perfectly  clear  afternoon.  For  miles 
and  miles  the  beautiful  Connecticut  Valley  lay 
stretched  out  before  them,  exhibiting  a  pano- 
ramic view  delightful  to  the  eye,  and  dear  to  the 
hearts  of  those  in  whose  minds  lingered  tender 
memories  of  happy  childhood  days  associated 
with  those  regions. 

They  took  supper  there  on  the  veranda  of  the 
Mountain  House,  and  were  favored  with  one  of 
the  most  gorgeous  sunsets  ever  witnessed.  From 
their  seats  could  be  seen  the  Montreal  Electric 
Express,  a  through  electric  train,  wending  its 
way  along,  making  neither  noise  nor  smoke, 
bound  for  New  York  City  by  way  of  Spring- 
vale. 

"Whenever  I  see  one  of  those  trains/*  said 
Tom,  "I  cannot  help  but  think  of  the  marvel- 
ously  rapid  growth  of  the  electric  railway  busi- 
ness. It  is  fair  to  state  that  the  industry  started 
in  1887,  and  in  twenty-five  years  practically  all 
the  cities  and  towns  in  the  country  have  the 
electric  system  of  transportation  on  the  streets, 
while  the  steam  railroads  are  changing  over  from 
steam  to  electric  power  so  fast  we  can  hardly 
keep  pace  with  their  progress. ' ' 

"Do  you  happen  to  remember,  Mr.  Appleton," 
said  Evelyn,  "that  Bellamy's  ' Looking  Back- 
ward' was  published  just  about  the  same  time 
that  the  commercial  introduction  of  electric  rail- 
ways was  being  announced  to  the  world?  If 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CLUB  41 

his  book  had  been  published  a  year  or  two  later, 
probably  another  chapter,  at  least,  would  have 
dwelt  upon  the  future  in  respect  to  railways/' 

"I  do  not  think  that  anyone  at  that  time 
could  have  prophesied  that  the  electric  railway 
in  1912  would  have  become  so  popular  among 
all  the  classes  of  people/'  answered  Tom. 

"  There  comes  the  scintillator, "  said   E  ethyl. 

Just  then  the  lights  were  turned  low  on  the 
pavilion,  and  a  series  of  five  searchlights  sent 
their  streams  of  illumination  into  view.  Steam 
pipes  were  located  some  thirty  feet  in  the  air, 
and  as  the  many  jets  emitted  forth  their  vol- 
umes of  steam,  the  various  colors  from  the  scin- 
tillator made  beautiful  clouds  of  all  shades,  ever 
changing  as  the  signals  for  proper  color  com- 
binations were  given. 

The  policy  of  the  proprietor  of  this  Mountain 
House,  was  to  furnish  night  illumination  scenes 
from  the  scintillator  at  least  one  night  each 
week,  and  the  display  apparatus  was  always  on 
exhibit  in  connection  with  holiday  festivals. 

"I  remember,"  said  Tom,  "when  this 
scintillator  was  invented,  and  commercially 
introduced.  It  was  only  a  few  years  ago.  One 
of  the  first  exhibitions  was  given  at  a  seashore 
resort  near  Boston,  and  it  was  exceedingly 
popular.  Enormous  crowds  came  to  the  beach 
on  the  trolley  ears  and  automobiles,  to  spend 
the  evening,  and  witness  the  beautiful  illumina- 
tion displays.  The  newspapers  commented 
very  favorably  upon  the  invention,  and  prophe- 
sied even  at  that  time  that  scintillators 
would  be  adopted  by  all  up-to-date  summer 
resorts,  mountain  houses,  and  wherever  the 
people  congregated  for  an  outing,  or  an  even- 
ing of  pleasure.  I  remember  distinctly,  attend- 


42  LOOKING  FORWARD 

ing  the  Jamestown  Exposition,  where  100 
searchlights  were  used  in  connection  with  a 
grand  illumination  scheme.  It  was  the  most 
marvelous  exhibit  of  illumination  which  I  had 
ever  witnessed. " 

Tom  told  the  girls  all  about  Prof.  W.  D'A. 
Rhine,  the  inventor  of  the  scintillator,  and  his 
wonderful  reputation  as  an  illuminating  engineer. 
He  said  that  not  more  than  a  year  after  the 
first  exhibition  of  the  scintillator  near  Boston, 
Prof.  Rhine's  engineering  ingenuity  had  created 
various  schemes  representative  of  the  introduc- 
tion of  fireworks  displays,  and  that  the  next  4th 
of  July  he  produced  the  most  spectacular 
exhibit  of  fireworks  by  means  of  the  electrical 
scintillator,  without  using  powder,  or  any  of 
the  ordinary  devices  which  had  been  common 
for  years  in  connection  with  fireworks  exhibi- 
tions. The  results  of  this  wonderful  display 
led  electrical  papers,  and  the  public  press 
throughout  the  entire  country,  to  disseminate 
information  about  the  wonderful  illumination 
scheme,  so  that  the  following  year,  electrical 
companies  in  general  arranged  their  plans  so 
that  electricity  became  the  agent  for  4th  of 
July  demonstrations,  and  the  old  style  fireworks 
were  abandoned  in  connection  with  large 
demonstrations  and  illumination  exhibitions. 

An  hour  later  they  were  again  speeding  along 
the  old  River  Road,  enjoying  the  silvery  moon- 
light, and  as  the  rays  were  reflected  upon  the 
calm  and  peaceful  waters,  it  exhibited  a  view 
seen  only  on  rare  occasions. 

As  they  left  Evelyn  at  her  door,  she  thanked 
Tom  so  kindly,  and  in  such  a  gracious  manner, 
he  vowed  to  himself  that  the  ride  was  ended  all 
too  soon. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  COLLEGE  BALL. 

It  was  a  happy  group  seated  around  the 
breakfast  table  the  next  morning.  All  kinds  of 
questions  were  being  fired  at  Tom,  and  kept 
him  so  busy  talking  that  Mother  Appleton  soon 
insisted  upon  giving  him  time  to  eat  a  little 
breakfast,  at  least,  especially  as  he  was  to  have  a 
long  vacation  with  them. 

Tom's  father  had  always  listened  with  a 
great  deal  of  interest  to  anything  said  about 
the  electrical  industry,  but  on  this  particular 
visit  there  seemed  to  be  a  great  many  matters 
of  unusual  interest  to  them  both.  The  old  gas 
plant  there  in  the  city  had  been  abandoned 
entirely.  Some  time  ago  it  had  been  purchased 
by  the  local  electrical  company,  and  all  its 
customers  for  both  liqrht  and  heat  were  now 
favored  with  the  electrical  appliances.  Tom 
explained  to  his  father  how  his  position  en- 
abled him  to  know  what  was  going  on  all  over 
the  country  in  respect  to  electric  lighting  and 
gas  companies. 

"You  see,  father,  the  new  incandescent  lamp 
was  developed  and  introduced  to  the  people 
in  1907.  It  did  not  take  long  to  see  the  ad- 
vantages which  this  new  lighting  device  pos- 
sessed over  gas.  It  was  designed  by  the  inven- 
tors to  produce  the  same  illumination  for  one- 
third  of  the  cost.  The  people  were  tired  of 

43 


44  LOOKING  FOBWARD 

using  gas,  and  had  been  anxiously  waiting  for 
some  such  great  invention  to  be  introduced.  As 
soon  as  the  new  lamps  were  on  the  market,  every 
branch  of  the  electrical  industry  became 
acquainted  with  the  situation.  Wiring  con- 
tractors saw  the  opportunities  for  increasing 
their  business  by  advertising  the  new  lamp, 
and  dealers  in  supplies  also  became  aggressive. 
It  was  impossible  to  hold  back  such  a  radical 
departure  in  the  field  of  illumination.  Hence 
the  gas  companies  all  over  the  country  com- 
menced to  fear  for  the  future  of  the  gas  busi- 
ness. 

" Another  reason/'  said  Tom,  "the  electrical 
companies  studied  carefully  the  needs  and  con- 
veniences of  the  people.  In  1907  they  produced 
devices  for  home  use  which  were  exceedingly 
attractive.  They  were  simple  in  design,  sold 
at  a  low  price,  and  cost  only  a  small  sum  to 
operate.  Having  been  attracted  in  his  own 
home  by  such  devices,  the  merchant  requested 
them  in  his  business ;  the  physician  recommended 
them  in  his  profession:  the  manufacturer  used 
them  in  his  factories  and  mills;  and  as  gas 
was  not  used  for  motive  power,  but  the  electri- 
cal companies  had  been  foremost  in  electrical 
motors  for  years,  you  see  how  natural  it  was 
to  supply  light,  heat  and  power  by  electricity." 

"Come,"  said  Eethyl;  "quit  talking  shop, 
and  let's  talk  about  the  college  ball  tonight.  I 
understand  that  Evelyn  has  decided  to  go  with 
Frank  Sheldon,  but  she  tells  me  it  will  posi- 
tively be  the  last  time." 

"Who  is  Frank  Sheldon?"  asked  Tom,  trying 
to  conceal  the  start  which  her  announcement 
had  given  him. 

"Don't  you  remember  him?  Evelyn  says  he 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  4S 

told  her  that  he  worked  on  the  test,  some  five 
years  ago,  at  Millville." 

"Let  me  see!  Sheldon,  did  you  say?  It 
seems  to  me  I  do  remember  the  name  now." 
He  did  not  tell  her  the  circumstances  which 
resulted  in  his  discharge  from  the  Glendale 
Works,  but  asked  why  Evelyn  did  not  like  him. 

"Well,"  said  Eethyl,  "in  the  first  place,  she 
does  not  think  he  has  any  ambition,  and  lately 
she  believes  that  his  character  may  be  ques- 
tionable. Their  families  have  lived  near  each 
other  in  New  York  City  for  many  years,  and 
Evelyn  has  kept  company  with  him  because  of 
old  associations." 

Eethyl  seemed  to  be  wound  up  this  particular 
morning,  and  told  Tom  a  great  many  things 
about  Evelyn  which  made  him  feel  more  and 
more  that  he  should  like  to  be  better  acquainted 
with  her.  The  splendid  character  of  the  girl 
appealed  to  him.  Eethyl  had  told  him  that 
Evelyn's  home  life  was  beautiful.  Her  mother 
and  father  simply  worshiped  her.  She  was 
always  doing  something  for  others  which  not 
only  indicated  an  unusually  kind  disposition, 
but  likewise,  in  many  cases,  showed  depth  of 
thought  of  no  mean  degree. 

MWhile  we  have  been  at  school  the  Tylers 
have  continually  kept  three  and  four  girls  in 
their  kitchen.  At  first  I  could  not  understand 
it,  bu*  one  day  I  was  talking  with  Mrs.  Tyler, 
and  she  told  me  that  the  plan  was  Evelyn's. 
She  trained  them  herself  to  skilfully  use  the 
electric  outfit,  and  when  one  of  them  had  been 
there  a  year,  a  position  was  secured  for  her  as 
demonstrator  in  the  employ  of  some  electrical 
company  or  large  department  store.  She  has 
personally  helped  to  educate  them,  and  has 


46  LOOKING  FORWARD 

boarded  and  paid  them  good  wages  for  the 
purpose  of  placing  the  girls  in  positions  where 
they  could  not  only  earn  more  money,  but  get 
an  education,  a  better  idea  of  life  and  under- 
stand the  new  manner  in  which  kitchen  work 
might  be  considered  if  the  housewives  and  the 
kitchen  girls  would  educate  themselves  to- 
gether on  the  subject  for  the  best  good  of  both. 

"I  never  saw  such  a  girl/*  said  Eethyl;  "she 
goes  down  in  the  afternoon  and  talks  to  the 
classes  in  the  Woman's  Club,  and  before  return- 
ing she  makes  a  call  on  some  sick  woman  or 
child  in  the  parish.  Her  father  told  me  the 
other  day  that  he  guessed  he  would  have  to 
purchase  electric  pads  and  water  heaters  by  the 
gross,  if  Evelyn  continued  to  leave  them  wher- 
ever she  visited." 

"What  did  Ev — I  mean  Miss  Tyler — say  to 
that?"  said  Tom,  coloring  a  little  in  spite  of 
himself. 

"She  smiled,"  replied  Eethyl,  pretending  not 
to  notice  his  embarrassment.  "But  she  is  not 
extravagant  in  other  ways.  She  simply  likes 
to  visit  among  the  parish  people  and  being  fond 
of  electrical  articles,  also  fully  appreciating  their 
value,  she  leaves  them  freely  among  such 
families.  They  all  know  her  and  love  her.  If 
they  return  to  New  York  to  live,  she  will  be 
missed  around  here  by  a  great  many  of  the  poor 
people." 

So  Tom  got  a  good  idea  that  morning  of 
Evelyn  Tyler  and  her  daily  life.  What  his 
sister  had  told  him  about  her  acquaintance  with 
Frank  Sheldon  set  him  to  thinking.  He  began 
to  wonder  if  there  could  be  any  hope  for  him, 
but  this  thought  was  quickly  put  aside.  He  had 
to  help  his  father  and  mother.  His  sister  would 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  47 

need  some  assistance  from  him,  and  then  again 
Evelyn  Tyler  was  rich,  highly  cultured,  a  Fifth 
Avenue  girl,  whose  parents  would  naturally 
desire  her  to  marry  into  an  equally  wealthy 
family.  No,  he  must  not  leave  any  room  for 
such  thoughts  in  his  mind,  but  be  thankful  that 
through  the  friendship  of  his  sister  he  could 
be  near  her  occasionally,  hear  her  talk  and 
laugh,  and  feel  again  the  pleasant  sensation 
which  had  crept  over  him  yesterday  when  they 
had  ridden  together  in  the  same  seat,  and 
enjoyed  each  other's  society  as  if  they  had  been 
old  acquaintances  of  many  years'  standing. 

He  thought,  however,  that  he  ought  to  go 
downtown  right  away  and  get  some  new  dan- 
cing slippers  and  a  tie.  Surely  he  must  look 
well  tonight,  although,  as  the  thought  came  to 
his  mind,  he  felt  slightly  vexed  for  allowing 
himself  to  anticipate  the  occasion  so  much.  He 
had  attended  a  ball  before,  and  surely  his  mind 
had  not  been  so  stirred  up  as  the  thoughts  of 
tonight's  reception  had  stirred  it. 

At  any  rate  he  started  down  to  the  city, 
walking  the  entire  way  in  order  to  see  what 
improvements  had  been  made  in  the  city's 
streets,  the  houses,  etc. 

Having  reached  Main  street  he  made  his 
purchases,  and  was  about  to  turn  his  steps 
homeward  again,  when  a  voice  called  to  him 
from  the  curbing:  "Mr.  Appleton,  are  you 
going  home?" 

He  turned  around,  and  there  before  him 
stood  Evelyn  Tyler,  just  about  to  step  into  her 
electric  phaeton  and  start  for  home.  Tom  felt 
that  he  had  never  seen  such  a  handsome  girl 
in  his  life,  and  made  up  his  mind  instantly  that 
he  must  not  get  so  flustered  and  excited ;  but  he 


48  LOOKING  FORWARD 

threw  back  his  shoulders,  and  answered  that  he 
was  about  leaving  for  home,  and  would  enjoy 
riding  up  with  her  very  much.  Assisting  her 
to  a  seat,  he  sat  down  beside  her,  and  they 
started  off  toward  home. 

"I  wanted  to  tell  you/'  she  said,  "how  much 
I  enjoyed  our  automobile  ride  yesterday." 

"I  am  glad  you  did/'  replied  Tom,  at  the 
same  time  screwing  up  sufficient  courage  to  add 
further,  "I  also  enjoyed  the  trip  a  great  deal, 
and  I  did  not  expect  to  have  the  pleasure  of 
riding  with  you  again  so  soon." 

"Do  you  attend  the  National  Convention  at 
San  Francisco  ?"  she  asked. 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom;  "I  have  been  re- 
quested to  attend  as  a  delegate  from  our  Com- 
pany. I  think  I  shall  take  my  sister  along,  if 
she  will  go." 

"Oh,  that  will  be  splendid,"  exclaimed 
Evelyn;  "we  can  all  go  together.  Won't  that 
be  lovely!" 

Tom  was  thrilled  with  pleasure  at  this  an- 
nouncement, as  her  presence  on  such  a  long  trip 
would  give  him  just  the  opportunity  he  had 
been  seeking.  He  would  see  her  every  day,  and 
as  the  object  of  their  tour  was  an  electrical 
convention,  there  was  a  good  excuse  to  talk  with 
her  freely  on  electrical  matters.  He  simply 
answered  her,  however,  by  stating  that  it  would 
be  very  pleasant,  and  they  continued  on  their 
way  talking  constantly  of  one  thing  and 
another. 

Taking  the  reader  back  a  little,  to  see  what 
Frank  Sheldon  has  been  doing.  After  leaving 
Millville,  he  went  home  as  stated,  and  about  the 
only  important  matter  on  his  mind  was  a 
determined  desire  to  marry  Evelyn  Tyler.  In 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  49 

this  purpose  his  mother  shared  his  intentions, 
and  not  only  took  unusual  interest  in  watching 
his  advancement,  but  frequently  urged  him  to 
greater  effort  in  his  suit.  He  had  seen  Evelyn 
at  many  functions  and  she  ihad  occasionally 
attended  receptions  with  him,  so  that  opportun- 
ities were  offered  him  to  follow  up  his  suit.  The 
first  time  he  talked  to  her  on  the  subject  it  was 
quite  in  the  form  of  a  business  proposition. 
He  mentioned  the  great  wealth  which  would 
come  into  his  possession  some  day;  the  many 
years  they  had  lived  near  each  other  as 
neighbors,  and  ended  by  stating  that,  as  he  loved 
her,  he  thought  she  would  naturally  like  to 
become  his  wife.  It  amused  Evelyn,  and  she 
was  able  to  laugh  it  off,  and  tell  him  kindly  that 
she  could  not  think  of  such  a  thing  as  she  was 
about  to  enter  college,  and  would  not  have  time 
for  anything  except  the  studies  in  which  she 
was  deeply  interested. 

Again,  later,  he  referred  to  the  subject  in  a 
more  persistent  manner,  but  Evelyn  told  him 
very  frankly  that  she  had  only  a  friendly  regard 
for  him,  and  if  he  continued  in  his  intentions 
she  would  be  inclined  to  drop  even  their 
friendly  relations. 

When  he  asked  her  a  month  ahead  of  the 
date  for  the  college  ball  if  she  would  accompany 
him,  she  had  hesitated  and  put  him  off  until 
the  last  .few  days,  finally  accepting  his  invita- 
tion, with  her  mind  fully  made  up  that  it  would 
be  the  last  time  she  would  accompany  him 
anywhere.  Her  parents  had  talked  the  matter 
over  with  her,  and  they  all  agreed  that  it  was 
best  for  her  to  inform  him  definitely  that  she 
entertained  no  more  than  an  ordinary  friend- 
ship for  him,  and  he  could  not  hope  for  any- 
thing further. 


50  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Prank  Sheldon  had  done  nothing  for  about 
a  year  after  going  back  to  New  York  from 
Millville,  but  finally  his  father  insisted  that  he 
should  not  remain  idle.  He  was,  therefore, 
placed  in  charge  of  an  electric  property  in 
Western  New  York  State,  but  he  did  not  re- 
main with  that  company  more  than  a  year.  He 
was  constantly  in  trouble  with  the  employees 
and  his  associates.  Some  of  them  resigned 
rather  than  go  to  his  father  about  their  trouble 
with  him,  but  finally  he  decided  he  did  not 
like  the  electrical  business  anyway,  and  would 
not  work  at  it  any  longer.  For  another  period 
therefore,  he  was  idle  again,  and  finally  his 
father  placed  him  at  the  head  of  one  of  his  gas 
interests  at  Hollywood,  Mass.  He  had  been 
there  about  a  year,  when,  on  this  particular 
day,  the  reception  at  the  college  was  the  oc- 
casion for  his  being  in  Northington.  He  had 
just  come  from  the  Mansion  House  bar  when 
he  saw  Tom  Appleton  taking  a  seat  beside 
Evelyn  Tyler  and  driving  away  with  her  in  the 
electric  phaeton.  He  saw  her  talking  and 
laughing  with  him  in  a  manner  indicative  of  great 
interest  and  pleasure,  and  at  once  there  arose 
in  his  mind  a  feeling  of  jealousy.  He  had  never 
liked  Tom  Appleton  anyway,  since  the  time  of 
the  accident,  when  he  had  been  discharged  in 
disgrace  from  the  Glendale  Works. 

The  present  situation  was  relieved  somewhat 
when  he  considered  that,  at  any  rate,  she  would 
be  in  his  clutches  in  the  evening  at  the  ball, 
and  he  would,  in  some  way,  make  her  promise 
to  become  his  wife. 

The  day  continued  to  be  filled  with  sunshine, 
and  unusual  happiness  was  exhibited  by 
Evelyn  Tyler  as  she  flitted  to  and  fro  over  the 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  51 

house,  making  the  last  hurried  touches  in  con- 
nection with  her  toilette.  Her  mother  noticed 
it,  and  said: 

"Evelyn,  I  am  glad  you  are  so  happy  tonight. 
I  know  now  that  you  will  have  a  lovely  time." 

The  bell  rang  and  Frank  Sheldon  was  an- 
nounced. He  came  into  the  hall,  but  as  Evelyn 
was  ready  he  was  not  asked  to  take  a  chair. 
Mrs.  Tyler  called  to  him  as  they  were  leaving: 

"Frank,  you  must  be  sure  and  make  the  even- 
ing pleasant  for  Evelyn,  as  she  is  feeling  very 
happy  now." 

"All  right,  Mrs.  Tyler,"  he  replied,  "I'll 
try;"  but  he  knew  when  he  said  it,  that  he  was 
thinking  of  his  own  selfish  ends,  and  not  of 
Evelyn's  pleasure. 

They  had  hardly  been  seated  and  started, 
when  he  told  Evelyn  that  he  saw  her  that  morn- 
ing, and  was  surprised  to  know  that  she  would 
take  such  a  fellow  as  Tom  Appleton  to  ride 
with  her. 

"What  do  you  know  about  him?"  she  asked. 

"I  know  a  great  deal  about  him,"  he  said, 
"and  he  is  not  a  fit  man  to  be  associated  with 
you,  Evelyn." 

Nothing  more  was  said  about  the  matter,  and 
they  were  soon  down  in  the  city  and  entering 
the  college  gates.  A  long  line  of  carriages  could 
be  seen  ahead  of  them,  but  gradually  their  car- 
riage made  its  way  to  the  entrance  of  the  recep- 
tion hall.  Evelyn's  happy  mood  had  changed 
since  leaving  the  house,  due  to  Frank  Sheldon's 
remarks;  but  as  she  saw  the  magnificent 
decorations  and  the  marvelous  beauty  of  the 
electrical  display,  her  spirits  rose.  The  excite- 
ment had  partially  changed  her  mind,  and  as  she 
went  to  the  ladies'  dressing-room,  wondering 


52  LOOKING  FORWARD 

if    her  friends    had  arrived,  Eethyl    Appleton 
came  up  and  spoke  to  her. 

* '  Isn  't  it  lovely,  Evelyn  ? ' '  she  cried. 

"Yes,  it  is  beautiful,"  replied  Evelyn,  "but 
I  wish  that  I  had  never  come  with  Frank 
Sheldon;  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it  later. " 

In  a  few  moments  more  they  were  out  in  the 
ball  room,  and  a  sight  met  their  gaze  which  was 
long  to  be  remembered  by  all  who  attended  that 
ball.  They  were  in  a  new  building  which  had 
only  just  been  finished.  One  of  the  most 
famous  architects  in  Boston  had  presented  a 
design  which  was  pleasing  to  the  college 
executives  not  only  from  the  standpoint  of 
architectural  beauty,  but  his  plans  were  filled 
with  novel  ideas  regarding  illumination.  There 
was  not  a  single  lamp  or  bulb  to  be  seen. 
Nothing  physical  was  in  evidence  respecting  the 
illumination,  but  the  combination  of  wonderful 
architectural  display  and  magnificent  illuminat- 
ing effect  was  at  once  so  beautiful  and  im- 
pressive as  to  excite  the  most  favorable  com- 
ments. 

The  architect's  plans  had  also  included  a  com- 
plete installation  of  the  Telharmonium.  The 
interior  design  was  particularly  adapted  to 
render  the  very  best  acoustics.  Classical 
orchestral  music  was  being  rendered  in  a  man- 
ner to  attract  the  attention  of  everyone  in  the 
hall ;  yet  there  was  no  orchestra  and  apparently 
no  physical  source  from  which  the  beautiful 
strains  emanated.  A  diffusion  of  sound  was  pro- 
duced throughout  the  hall  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  architect  had  so  successfully  arranged 
for  diffusion  of  light. 

Tom  had  not  met  Frank  Sheldon  as  yet,  but 
as  the  girls  came  out  together  they  both  reached 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  53 

them  at  the  same  time  from  opposite  directions. 
Evelyn  caught  sight  of  Tom  coming  toward 
them,  and  she  was  very  much  struck  with  his 
handsome  appearance.  He  was  tall  and  erect, 
with  broad  military  shoulders;  a  clean  shaven 
face,  which  was  not  only  pleasing  to  look  upon, 
but  it  was  a  countenance  full  of  frankness  and 
honesty.  Evelyn  found  herself  looking  straight 
into  his  eyes,  with  such  a  steady  gaze  of 
admiration,  that  Tom  was  on  the  point  of 
embarrassment,  when  he  noticed  the  color  come 
to  her  cheeks. 

He  was  about  to  congratulate  himself  upon 
the  pleasure  in  store  for  him,  when  Evelyn 
introduced  Frank  Sheldon.  Tom  nodded,  but 
did  not  offer  to  take  Sheldon's  hand,  while 
Sheldon  gave  him  a  cold,  formal  bow.  The 
dancing  cards  were  being  distributed,  and 
engagements  for  dances  were  being  rapidly 
made.  Evelyn  had  hurriedly  looked  over  her 
card  and  had  crossed  three  dances,  when  Shel- 
don asked  her  what  the  crosses  meant. 

" Those  dances  are  taken,"  said  Evelyn. 

Again  Sheldon  felt  the  pangs  of  jealousy,  and 
was  more  anxiously  than  ever  awaiting  an 
opportunity  to  tell  her  what  he  thought,  and 
insist  upon  a  promise  from  her  that  would 
settle  the  matter  once  and  for  all. 

The  music  for  the  first  dance  was  started,  and 
Sheldon  struck  out  down  the  hall  with  Evelyn, 
rushing  through  a  two  step:  Tom  and  Eethyl 
danced  together,  and  Evelyn  caught  occasional 
glimpses  of  them,  as  they  gracefully  passed 
near  her.  She  noticed  that  Tom  presented  a 
splendid  form,  and  many  eyes  were  upon  him. 
Sheldon  did  not  dance  very  well,  and  Evelyn 
was  glad  when  they  had  finished.  » She  was 


54  LOOKING  FORWARD 

immediately  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  young 
admirers,  asking  about  dances,  and  joking  about 
the  crosses,  but  Tom  succeeded  in  getting  near 
enough  to  ask  about  her  card,  when  she  leaned 
over  near  his  ear  and  whispered  that  she  had 
saved  three  waltzes  for  him,  the  second,  fifth 
and  ninth  numbers.  Tom  marked  his  card  with 
crosses  at  the  corresponding  numbers,  and  with 
a  feeling  of  great  pleasure.  He  saw  that  E ethyl 
was  so  popular  as  to  get  her  card  filled  quickly, 
and  while  waiting  for  the  next  dance  he  looked 
around  the  hall,  without  paying  any  attention 
to  engaging  other  partners  for  himself. 

It  seemed  an  age  to  him  before  the  music 
started.  It  was  a  dreamy  waltz  which  he  had 
remembered  of  hearing,  but  never  before  had 
the  tones  seemed  so  sweet  and  pure  as  tonight. 
How  beautiful  she  was!  This  was  the  thought 
running  through  his  mind.  She  was  dressed  in 
a  rich  black  velvet  gown  closely  fitting  her  form, 
and  with  a  string  of  amber  beads  encircling  the 
throat,  the  costume  was  complete.  There  were 
neither  jewels  nor  flowers;  simply  the  plain 
costume,  decorated  and  embellished  by  the 
beautiful  black  eyes,  the  wealth  of  hair,  the 
lovely  white  shoulders,  and  graceful  form.  She 
placed  her  hand  in  his,  and  his  arm  was  now 
around  her  waist.  Away  they  glided  down  the 
hall,  conscious  of  no  other  persons  in  the  room : 
intoxicated  with  the, moment's  pleasure.  She 
thought  what  a  strong  manly  fellow  he 
appeared.  How  gracefully  he  danced!  And 
Tom  felt  that  surely  he  was  having  a  beautiful 
dream,  from  which  he  must  soon  awake  with  a 
thud.  She  seemed  as  light  as  a  feather,  and  he 
felt  that  he  could  dance  forever  with  such  a 
partner.  The  music  stopped,  but  there  was  such 


THE  COLLEGE  BALL  55 

a  round  of  applause  for  an  encore  that  again 
they  danced,  and  once  more  Tom  enjoyed  the 
delicious  sensations  which  he  had  never  before 
experienced. 

They  were  all  having  a  lovely  time,  with  the 
exception  of  Sheldon.  He  had  watched  Tom  and 
Evelyn  all  the  evening,  and  was  so  mad  that 
during  the  intermission  he  would  not  enter  the 
hall,  but  sulked  outside  in  the  smoking-room. 
He  made  up  his  mind  that  when  he  danced  with 
her  again  he  would  ask  her  to  go  out  into  the 
conservatory  with  him  and  there  talk  it  over. 
He  was  glad,  therefore,  when  the  music  started 
once  more.  He  went  for  her,  and  as  he  came 
up,  Tom  saw  the  meanness  that  was  written 
on  his  face.  While  they  danced  Tom  sauntered 
out  into  the  garden  and  sat  down  alone  behind 
some  tall  spreading  palms.  It  was  one  of  the 
first  seats  he  saw  in  a  quiet  spot  away  from  the 
regular  path,  and  he  thought  he  would  be 
entirely  alone.  He  had  not  been  sitting  there 
long  when  an  angry  voice  caught  his  ear.  It 
was  quite  low,  but  he  recognized  it  as  Sheldon's. 

"I  insist  that  you  promise  me  once  and 
for  all,"  he  was  saying,  "that  you  will  be  my 
wife.  You  are  having  too  good  a  time  with 
that  fellow  Apple  ton.  I  know  him.  He  is  not 
a  gentleman,  and  is  unfit  to  associate  with  you." 

"I  do  not  believe  you, ' '  came  the  answer ;  and 
Tom  knew  positively  that  it  was  Evelyn  with 
Sheldon. 

He  was  just  wishing  that  he  was  not  in  such 
an  embarrassing  position,  when  he  heard  Shel- 
don say: 

"I  will  make  you  promise  to  be  my  wife." 
Stepping  aside,  to  get  a  better  view,  Tom  saw 
Sheldon  grasp  Evelyn's  wrist  with  the  grip  of 
a  villain. 


56  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Without  waiting  another  moment,  he  stepped 
forward.  His  right  arm  shot  into  the  air,  direct- 
ing a  blow  which  knocked  Sheldon  keeling  over 
on  the  floor.  He  was  on  his  feet  again  instantly, 
and  looked  at  Tom  as  if  he  would  like  to  strike 
him;  but  the  tall  manly  form  towered  above 
him,  and  the  commanding  presence  awed  Sheldon. 
Besides,  his  eye  was  commencing  to  swell,  and, 
as  Tom  told  him  positively  that  he  could  not 
accompany  Evelyn,  home,  he  left  the  hall 
in  a  rage. 

Tom  explained  to  Evelyn  how  he  happened 
to  be  behind  the  palms.  She  then  thanked  him 
earnestly  for  his  protection,  and  when  he  sug- 
gested that  she  could  go  home  in  their  carriage, 
she  was  glad  and  accepted  the  offer. 

They  had  still  another  dance  together,  which 
was  filled  with  pleasure  for  both  of  them. 

On  the  way  home  she  sat  next  to  Tom.  He 
could  feel  her  warm  breath  near  his  cheek,  as 
the  carriage  gave  an  occasional  lurch.  Two  or 
three  times  her  hand  was  placed  on  his,  and  he 
thought  once  she  let  it  rest  there  longer  than 
usual.  Perhaps  the  girl  liked  him  just  a  little — 
he  did  not  know.  The  excitement  of  it  all  had 
made  him  lose  the  good,  sound,  common  sense 
which  he  possessed  when  he  arrived  in  Northing- 
ton  only  a  few  days  before. 

"Good  night/'  she  said:  "Come  over  to- 
morrow, E ethyl.  I  want  to  thank  you  again 
very  much,  Mr.  Appleton,  for  your  kindness  and 
protection. ' ' 

Tom  answered  something.  He  never  knew 
what,  but  all  the  remainder  of  the  night,  in  his 
sleep,  he  dreamed  that  he  was  dancing  with 
Evelyn  Tyler. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPRESS. 

One  afternoon  iabout  a  week  later,  Tom, 
Evelyn,  and  Eethyl  were  seated  in  an  observation 
car  of  the  Electron  Pacific  Express.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tyler  had  been  taking  a  nap.  It  had  been 
a  beautiful  (afternoon,  and  /they  had  keenly 
enjoyed  the  scenes  through  which  the  train  was 
speeding  them  at  a  rate  of  60  to  75  miles  an 
hour.  Tom  had  been  explaining  to  Evelyn  all 
about  the  electric  train.  He  said: 

''In  1906  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  had 
made  a  trial  installation  of  the  electric  system, 
which  was  so  successful  in  operation,  that  the 
next  year  they  equipped  the  Hudson  River 
branch,  and  soon  the  entire  road  from  New  York 
to  Buffalo  was  electrified.  About  the  same  time 
the  Michigan  Central  was  carefully  studying 
the  problem,  and  in  a  very  little  time  it  was 
possible  to  go  from  New  York  to  Chicago  on  an 
electric  train.  The  first  train  to  run  through 
to  Chicago  was  called  the  'Amberon'  Express, 
the  name  'having  been  associated  so  distinctly 
with  the  early  history  of  electricity."  He 
showed  her  how  natural  it  was  for  the  railroads 
of  the  country  to  change  quickly  from  steam  to 
electricity  as  soon  as  the  New  York  Central  had 
secured  such  -splendid  results.  "The  Penn- 
sylvania road  was  losing  business  continually, 
between  New  York,  Cleveland  and  Chicago 

57 


58  LOOKING  FORWARD 

because  its  steam  trains  could  not  compete  with 
the  modern  electric  trains  on  the  Central  lines. 
The  New  York  Tunnel  became  a  marvel  of  neat- 
ness; was  well  lighted  and  ventilated.  All 
the  stations  were  clean  and  well  painted;  free 
from  smoke  and  gas.  Having  a  tremendously 
large  supply  of  electricity,  and  having  studied 
the  subject  in  all  its  details  so  thoroughly,  they 
were  quick  to  adopt  electricity  for  the  dining 
ears,  and  during  the  hottest  days  in  the  Summer 
months,  the  cooks  in  the  kitchen  of  the  electric 
dining  car  were  comfortable  and  cool.  It  was 
a  pleasure  to  ride  about  the  country,  a  pleasure 
which  these  fellows  derived  in  the  change  from 
steam  or  coal  ovens  to  the  electric  cooking  and 
baking  devices.  Foods  were  served  more 
promptly,  and  the  cooks  and  waiters  were  more 
efficient  because  of  the  convenience  and  ease  of 
doing  their  work.  The  design  of  the  dining  car 
was  much  better,  also,  because  wires  were  run  in 
a  concealed  manner,  much  easier  and  taking  up 
less  space  than  steam  pipes.  Cleanliness  and 
ease  of  work  were  quickly  appreciated  by  those 
connected  with  the  kitchen  part  of  the  car." 

Tom  continued,  "The  baggage  car  was  also 
equipped  with  a  motor  for  handling  the  large 
trunks  and  luggage.  When  the  train  stopped 
at  a  station,  the  baggageman  turned  a  switch, 
and  a  motor  operated  the  sliding  door.  A  small 
crane  was  then  brought  into  use.  It  was  operated 
t?  a  motor  capable  of  quickly  raising  and  lower- 
ing large  heavy  trunks.  The  station  baggage- 
man also  had  an  equipment  with  small  motor 
trucks,  for  carting  luggage  between  the  baggage 
rooms  and  the  trains.  The  railroad  benefited 
in  many  ways  by  introducing  these  electrical 
appliances  not  only  saving  valuable  time  in 


ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPRESS      59 

handling  baggage  when  trains  were  at  the 
station,  but  also  lending  its  efforts  to  make  the 
work  of  its  employees  pleasant  and  instructive. ' ' 

At  this  point  Tom  said,  with  greater  emphasis, 
'  *  I  want  to  -explain  to  you  how  much  importance 
the  large  progressive  railroads,  manufacturing 
companies,  and  business  houses  attach  to  the 
modern  labor-saving  devices  which  cultivate  a 
high  efficiency  on  the  part  of  their  employees. 
In  our  factories  I  have  noticed  many  clever 
schemes  for  making  the  work  rooms  peasant, 
well  ventilated,  and  healthy.  In  one  room 
where  copper  bars  are  ground,  and  much 
copper  dust  created,  which  is  unhealthy,  and 
bad  for  the  eyes,  the  machines  are  equipped 
with  large  pipes,  and  exhaust  fans  for  carrying 
the  dust  away,  out  of  the  window.  The  room 
which  would  otherwise  have  been  very  dusty 
and  unhealthy  was  easily  made  clean  and  pleas- 
ant, increasing  the  efficiency  of  the  men 
physically,  mentally,  and  in  every  way." 

On  the  Electron  Pacific  Express  they  had  been 
very  much  entertained  during  luncheons  and 
dinners  by  reason  of  the  Telharmonium  in  the 
dining  oar.  The  most  charming  music  was 
rendered  from  an  unseen  source.  There  was  not 
even  a  violin  or  piano  visible,  and  to  a  person 
not  accustomed  to  much  travel,  the  plan  would 
excite  much  curiosity.  The  girls  had,  of 
course,  read  about  the  Telharmonium  a  few 
years  before,  as  it  was  much  talked  about  in 
1906,  when  Baltimore  and  New  York  parties 
organized  a  large  company  to  introduce  it 
commercially.  One  of  the  first  concerts  was 
given  at  Hardcourt,  Conn.,  and  the  music  was 
created  and  transmitted  by  electricity.  It  had 
been  possible  before  this,  to  hear  music  over  the 


60  LOOKING  FORWARD 

telephone,  which  was  transmitted  many  miles 
distant,  but  this  particular  system  included  the 
creation  of  music  electrically,  in  addition  to 
delivering  it  over  the  wires.  Boon  after  the  first 
music  station  was  installed  in  1906  in  New  York 
City,  the  restaurants,  'hotels,  theatres,  churches, 
and  residences  subscribed  for  connections  in 
the  same  manner  as  they  had  subscribed  for 
telephone  'and  electric  light  service.  At  the 
central-station  of  the  New  York  Company, 
music  was  created  and  rendered  twenty-four 
hours  daily,  and  iat  any  hour  or  minute  of  the 
day,  most  delightful  music  could  be  secured  by 
simply  throwing  a  switch.  The  people  were  not 
only  greatly  pleased  to  take  advantage  of  the 
plan  in  the  same  way  that  they  had  used  the 
telephone,  but  the  business  managers  of  hotels, 
restaurants,  theatres,  etc.,  were  able  to  secure 
twenty-four  hour  service  at  less  expense,  com- 
pared with  the  old  method  of  string  bands.  It 
established  a  much  superior  system,  also,  because 
in  the  large  clubs  where  private  rooms  were 
continually  used,  the  softest  strains  of  classical 
music  could  be  furnished  from  the  regular 
electric  light  wires,  with  no  difficulty  whatever. 
As  early  as  1906,  this  electric  system  of  furnish- 
ing music  was  commercial  and  became  popularly 
used  like  the  telephone,  in  a  remarkably  short 
time. 

City  governments  soon  contracted  for  music 
in  the  city  parks,  and  during  the  Summer  even- 
ings, thousands  of  people  were  favored  with  the 
latest  pieces,  rendered  in  all  parts  of  the  city. 
The  old  method  of  delivering  music  by  a  small 
band  of  men  resulted  in  a  massing  of  the  people, 
frequently  creating  a  jamb,  and  demanding 
constant  attention  of  the  police  to  prevent  dis- 


ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPRESS      61 

order  and  violence.  The  new  electric  system 
became  so  satisfactory  in  delivering  music  at  any 
point  that  'artistic  poles  were  located  sufficiently 
near  together  to  accommodate  many  different 
sections  of  the  park.  Muselectrans  became 
remarkably  popular,  not  only  during  the  Sum- 
mer evenings,  but  once  a  week  during  the 
Winter  months,  •&  pop-concert  was  given  in  the 
City  Hall,  which  thousands  of  people  attended. 
It  cost  the  people  nothing  as  the  city  contracted 
for  the  music  at  a  very  low  figure  in  connection 
with  its  street  lighting,  incandescent  lamps,  and 
electric  heating  appliances  for  its  buildings. 

The  Summer  of  1907  witnessed  the  passing 
of  the  brass  bands  for  street  parades.  The 
experience  of  the  Muselectrans  in  the  parks  soon 
attracted  the  electric  company  to  the  demands 
for  electric  music  in  the  streets,  and  at  every  few 
blocks,  these  instruments  were  located  on 
ornamental  poles.  The  system  worked  beauti- 
fully in  connection  with  parades.  By  means  of 
starters,  switches,  and  telephones,  there  was  no 
difficulty  in  controlling  music,  starting  and 
stopping  it,  fas  the  demands  required.  The 
device  itself  was  made  ornamental,  and  special 
attention  given  to  its  artistic  design  so  as  to 
co-operate  freely  with  the  Municipal  Art  League 
which  was  doing  such  magnificent  work  for  the 
'cities  during  that  year.  All  dance  halls  were 
equipped  with  electric  music,  and  whenever 
arrangements  were  made  for  a  social  dance, 
music  and  hall  were  engaged  at  the  same  time, 
.and  in  the  same  place,  offering  convenience  and 
smaller  expense  than  ever  before. 

"But  how  did  they  -arrange  to  furnish  music 
in  the  dining  car  ? "  asked  Evelyn. 

"In  the  baggiage  car  there  is  a  Dynamophone 


62  LOOKING  FORWARD 

which  is  like  one  of  the  old-style  organs,  except 
it  is  equipped  with  a  number  of  small  alterna- 
ting dynamos.  The  key-board  is  operated  by 
a  skilled  musician.  At  one  end  of  the  dining 
car,  in  a  concealed  position,  is  a  Muselectran, 
from  which  the  music  is  transmitted.  In  the 
other  cars  on  the  train,  including  the  observation 
ear,  notice  is  posted  that  at  certain  hours  of  the 
morning,  afternoon,  or  evening,  classical  music 
will  be  rendered;  such  concerts  lasting  about 
one-half  hour. 

On  such  long  trips  as  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco,  these  short  concerts  break  up  the 
monotony  of  the  trip,  and  are  certainly  con- 
sidered very  popular.  You  recollect  how  often 
we  have  noticed  the  passengers  on  board  this 
train,  make  use  of  the  instruments.  It  seemed 
that  they  would  never  get  enough.  While  it 
attracts  the  older  people,  the  children  think  it  is 
splendid.  They  listen  for  the  longest  time,  and 
then  run  and  tell  their  mothers  all  about  it. 
Then  back  again  -and  repeat  the  incident.  It  is 
indeed  a  happy  hour  for  the  children.  After 
the  first  day  out,  did  you  notice  how  the 
musician  came  through  the  train,  talking  to  the 
children  particularly?  He  ascertained  what 
selections  pleased  them  most,  and  promised  to 
repeat  them  that  afternoon. 

It  is  surely  a  popular  plan  to  please  the 
children  so  much.  There  is  no  more  forcible 
way  to  advertise  the  Railroad  Company.  Of 
course  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  musician  travel 
continually  with  the  train,  but  this  represents 
only  a  trifle  to  the  railroad  company,  'as  they 
have  for  years  had  a  stenographer  in  the  observa- 
tion car,  who  will  write  letters  free  of  expense 
to  passengers.  They  also  carry  on  board,  a  lady 


ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPRESS      63 

manicurist,  and  the  extra  musician  represents 
a  small  matter  compared  with  the  great  advertis- 
ing features  which  the  Telharmonium  offers, 
and  the  popularity  with  which  it  is  received  by 
passengers. ' ' 

They  were  seated  in  the  rear  end  of  the 
observation  car,  and  an  excellent  opportunity 
was  afforded  for  seeing  the  track  construction.  It 
seemed  «s  if  they  would  never  tire  of  watching 
the  scenery  and  gazing  at  the  many  interesting 
things  along  the  tracks.  The  train  had  com- 
menced to  decrease  its  speed,  and  slow  down  to 
about  six  miles  an  hour,  when  soon  they  saw  a 
large  gang  of  men  working  on  the  road.  Ties 
were  being  changed  and  repairs  in  general  were 
being  made.  As  they  passed,  the  click  of  a  ham- 
mer could  be  heard,  and  Evelyn  asked  what  the 
noise  was,  and  what  was  that  funny  looking 
device  on  the  side  of  the  track. 

1  'That/'  said  Tom,  "is  an  electric  sledge 
hammer,  for  driving  spikes.  It  has  been  one  of 
the  handiest  appliances  of  all,  so  the  workmen 
say.  The  old  method  of  driving  spikes  was 
very  slow  and  expensive,  also  hard  work  for  the 
men.  This  electric  sledge  is  set  in  place  quickly, 
and  strikes  &  few  blows  fast  and  hard,  saving 
time  and  expense  for  such  work. 

' '  There,  also,  is  an  interesting  device  for  feed- 
ing water  to  the  engine.  You  see  the  trough 
full  of  water.  The  engine  takes  water  from  that, 
without  stopping,  by  scooping  it  up.  In  the 
Winter  time,  however,  it  freezes,  unless  some 
means  is  provided  for  heating  the  water.  The 
old  way,  of  heating  by  steam,  was  expensive,  as 
it  was  not  always  easy  to  get  steam  all  along 
the  road.  The  electric  system,  however,  makes  it 
very  easy.  The  wires  running  alongside  of  the 


64  LOOKING  FORWARD 

road,  ean  be  tapped,  anywhere,  for  such  applica- 
tions as  these.  The  old-style  hand  car  is 
no  more.  The  small  electric  oar  takes  its  place. 
It  carries  them  from  one  place  to  another  much 
quicker,  and  is  handier  and  more  business-like 
than  the  old  type  of  hand  car. ' ' 

Just  before  going  in  to  dinner,  a  porter  came 
into  the  car  and  asked  if  Mr.  Appleton  was 
there.  He  said  there  was  »a  telephone  call  from 
San  Francisco  for  him.  Tom  went  into  one  of 
the  compartments,  where  it  was  quiet,  and  upon 
taking  up  the  receiver,  found  it  was  his  good 
friend,  T.  E.  Giddings,  who  had  called  up  to  let 
them  know  that  they  were  expected,  and  he 
would  be  at  the  depot  to  meet  them.  Tom  told 
him  that  the  train  was  on  time,  and  they  would 
arrive  -at  nine-thirty  the  next  morning,  if  good 
luck  favored  them  all  through  the  night.  He 
told  him  that  it  did  not  cost  anything  to  tele- 
phone, as  the  Railroad  Company  made  a  spe- 
cialty of  the  accommodation,  to  parties  who 
had  friends  coming  through  from  the  East.  He 
said  he  had  just  arrived  home  from  the  office 
and  was  talking  to  him  from  his  own  house. 

When  Tom  returned  he  explained  it  all  to 
the  girls,  who  thought  it  wonderful,  as  well  as 
very  kind  of  the  Giddings  to  appear  so  thought- 
ful of  them. 

The  trip  had  given  Tom  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  inspect  the  block  system  along  the 
railroad,  and  the  electric  signals  were  so 
numerous  'and  had  proven  so  effective,  that  the 
passengers  had  great  confidence  in  their  safe 
arrival.  Tom  appreciated  now,  more  than  ever, 
the  tremendous  importance  of  the  patented  de- 
vices which  Mr.  George  Westlington  had  pro- 
duced for  the  railroading  industry.  The  air- 


ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPEESS      65 

brake  and  the  electric  signals  alone  would  cause 
his  name  to  be  carried  down  into  history  from 
generation  unto  generation.  So  much  attention 
was  paid  to  safety  by  this  road,  when  running 
at  night,  that  an  electric  arc  headlight  was 
burned  at  the  head  of  the  engine  and  one  on  the 
rear  of  the  train;  also  one  on  each  side  of  the 
train,  moving  up  and  down  every  minute  by 
means  of  motors.  These  were  searchlights,  and 
at  a  very  long  distance  away  their  rays  could  be 
seen,  like  a  flashlight  in  the  New  York  Harbor. 
The  lights  were  controlled  from  the  electric 
locomotive,  by  switches,  operated  by  the  electric 
engineer,  and  when  a  stop  was  made  at  a 
station,  the  engineer  turned  off  the  searchlights 
on  the  sides,  leaving  on  the  head  and  rear  lights 
only.  They  were  very  powerful  and  valuable 
for  such  service. 

About  ten  o'clock  they  all  retired  after  enjoy- 
ing several  selections  by  the  Telharmonium, 
feeling  that  they  would  soon  be  in  San  Fran- 
cisco, the  wonderful  new  city,  which  had  been 
rebuilt  during  an  era  when  all  phases  of  life 
demanded  the  daily  use  of  electricity. 

The  girls  had  a  compartment  together,  and 
before  they  went  to  sleep  they  talked  over  a 
great  many  matters  of  mutual  interest.  It  was 
pleasant  to  recall  the  many  happy  occasions 
during  their  college  life.  Their  electric  club 
meetings  had  been  so  filled  with  pleasant 
associations,  that  they  could  at  any  time  start 
the  subject,  and  enjoy  relating  to  each  other 
reminiscences  which  their  memories  reflected. 

"Do  you  remember  the  ride  we -had  with  your 
brother  Tom,  from  Springvale  to  Northington, ' ' 
asked  Evelyn.  "It  was  about  commencement 
time.  I  think  E ethyl,  it  was  one  of  the  happiest 
days  I  have  spent  this  Summer."  "  ' 


66  LOOKING  FORWARD 

"Yes,  I  enjoyed  it,  too!"  said  Eethyl. 

"I  wonder  if  brother  Tom  had  a  pleasant 
time?" 

"He  told  me,"  said  Eethyl,  "that  he  hadn't 
enjoyed  himself  so  much  before  in  many  years. ' ' 

"Do  you  remember  how  we  went  up  on  the 
mountain  1  How  we  strolled  around  for  a  while 
in  the  Park,  iand  then  later  went  up  to  the 
Mountain  House  by  the  Inclined  Electric  Rail- 
way? We  enjoyed  Tom's  stories  about  his 
mountain  trips  during  his  boyhood  days,  and 
then  what  a  lovely  ride  home  by  moonlight  in 
the  auto.  Oh !  Eethyl,  I  cannot  remember  when 
I  have  had  such  a  happy  day ! ' ' 

Eethyl  yawned,  and  turned  over  in  her  berth, 
almost  asleep.  She  had  heard  all  that  her  girl 
friend  hiad  said  and  appreciated  just  enough 
of  it  to  be  glad  that  she  was  happy.  But 
beyond  this  she  was  too  sleepy  to  think.  Her 
turn  was  to  come  a  few  months  later,  when 
Cupid's  arrow  was*to  fly  just  as  straight  and 
true  toward  her  heart  as  it  had  darted  into 
Evelyn's. 

Soon  the  sounds  of  regular  breathing  from 
Eethyl's  direction  indicated  that  she  was  lost  in 
sleep,  but  Evelyn  was  not  even  drowsy.  She 
wanted  to  think.  What  a  fine  fellow  Tom 
Appleton  was  anyway !  Had  she  ever  met  any 
young  man  in  New  York  that  was  like  him? 
How  straight  and  tall  he  was!  What  a  fine 
face  he  had!  How  often  she  had  thought  of 
his  appearance  at  the  college  ball!  What 
delightful  dances  she  had  enjoyed  with  him! 
She  would  never  forget  'how  handsome  he  looked 
on  that  evening.  Among  the  entire  list  of  her 
gentlemen  friends  in  New  York  City  there 
was  not  one  who  could  equal  Tom  Appleton 


ELECTRON  PACIFIC  EXPRESS      67 

in  the  dance.  Fond  memories  lingered  around 
that  one  evening  when  he  taught  her  to  dream 
while  they  waltzed.  The  (hot  blood  rushed  to 
her  cheeks  when  she  thought  of  his  strong  arm 
around  her  waist.  Gently,  but  tightly  he  had 
held  her,  and  they  floated  away  into  space  while 
the  beautiful,  soft  strains  of  music,  so  deli- 

ciously  sweet, 

"Wake  up,  Evelyn,  we  are  almost  due  in  San 
Francisco."  It  was  Eethyl  calling,  and  Evelyn 
had  been  dreaming  again  of  the  college  ball, 
and  the  waltzes  with  Tom  Appleton. 


CHAPTER  V. 

REBUILDING   SAN   FRANCISCO. 

•They  arrived  on  time,  the  next  morning,  and 
their  friend  Giddings  was  there  to  meet  them. 
After  cordial  greetings  he  told  them  that  his 
wife  and  daughter  were  in  the  carriage,  await- 
ing them  at  the  station  entrance. 

Tom  found  himself  glancing  up  and  down, 
and  around  the  new  station.  It  was  a  marvel 
in  respect  to  cleanliness  and  free  from  the  usual 
engine  noises.  The  absence  of  smoke  and  gases 
had  favored  the  architect  in  his  efforts  toward 
embellishment  for  the  interior  design ;  an  incon- 
ceivable feature  in  connection  with  the  old  steam 
stations,  because  of  the  continual  smoky  and 
gaseous  conditions.  The  architect  had  even 
gone  so  far  as  to  decorate  in  light  colors,  which 
were  blended  with  modest  architectural  designs, 
pleasing  to  the  eye,  'and  strikingly  suggestive 
of  a  new  era  in  railroad  station  construction. 
No  more  noisy  escaping  steam  would  be  heard 
in  that  terminal,  and  if  a  passenger  were  early 
to  a  train,  or  for  any  other  reason,  were  wait- 
ing in  the  station,  there  were  comfortable,  easy 
rocking  chairs,  instead  of  the  old  straight- 
backed  hard  settees.  This  railroad  company  was 
very  popular  with  the  people,  for  they  had  care- 
fully studied  the  conveniences  of  travelers,  and 
accommodated  their  plans  and  construction  to 
suit  such  requirements. 

68 


EEBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       69 

After  examining  the  station,  -they  p'assed  out 
through  the  entrance,  where  Mrs.  Giddings  and 
their  daughter  Lueile,  were  introduced  to  them. 

"  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  ' '  she  said.  * '  Lucile 
and  I  were  at  the  phone  last  night,  when  Mr. 
Giddings  called  you  on  (the  train,  and  we  were 
glad  to  hear  you  were  well,  tand  that  the  train 
was  on  time." 

4 'We  had  a  delightful  trip/'  replied  Evelyn, 
"but  are  glad  to  get  off  the  train  once  more." 

Tom  and  his  sister  went  direct  to  the  Gid- 
dings home,  but  Evelyn  went  to  the  hotel  with 
her  mother  and  father. 

On  the  way  to  the  office,  after  a  late  break- 
fast, Giddings  took  much  pleasure  in  showing 
Tom  the  advantages  which  San  Francisco  now 
possessed,  in  connection  with  its  grand  new 
buildings.  The  Railroad  Station  had  made  a 
very  favorable  impression  upon  his  mind,  but 
when  driving  down  through  the  City  of  New  San 
Francisco,  (he  was  lost  in  admiration.  He  had 
never  before  seen  so  many  new  buildings,  and 
how  beautifully  grand  they  appeared,  when  the 
height  and  size  of  each  had  been  designed  to 
harmonize  with  the  character  of  the  other! 
There  was  a  harmony  of  architecture,  which 
lent  solidity  and  grandeur  to  the  massive 
structures. 

Giddings  broke  the  spell  by  saying,  "You 
observe  the  same  cleanliness  regarding  every 
building  which  was  noted  at  the  railroad  station. 
See  the  signs,  the  sidewalks,  the  curbing,  the 
pavements;  all  so  clean  arid  neat.  There  is  no 
smoke  in  the  city.  The  electrification  of  the 
railroad,  the  absence  of  smoke  in  the  station, 
and  the  clean  'aspect,  led  the  industrial  man- 
agers of  San  Francisco  to  a  desire  for  their 


70  LOOKING  FORWARD 

buildings  to  be  clean  and  light.  They,  there- 
fore, carefully  studied  the  use  of  electric 
motors,  for  all  industrial  purposes  and  the  use 
of  electricity  for  heating,  power  and  lighting. 
The  current  is  transmitted  more  than  one 
hundred  miles,  from  the  town  of  Califa,  and 
already  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  thou- 
sand horse-power  is  employed  for  mercantile, 
industrial,  and  residential  purposes  in  San 
Francisco.  You  can  therefore  see  why  every- 
thing looks  so  clean  and  nice.  Electricity  has 
replaced  steam  and  gas. ' ' 

1  'Yes,  it  is  wonderful  and  truly  beautiful," 
said  Tom.  "But  where  are  the  poles  for  tele- 
phone and  lighting  wires?  Where  are  the  arc 
lamp  poles,  and  the  sign  boards  indicating  the 
names  of  streets?" 

"They  are  gone  forever,  in  San  Francisco," 
replied  Giddings.  ' '  You  see  all  those  things  had 
to  be  considered,  when  rebuilding,  after  the 
earthquake.  The  architects  could  see  no  need 
of  street  signs  on  poles,  when  they  could  be 
nicely  located  on  the  corner  of  the  building, 
artistic  in  appearance,  easy  to  read  in  daylight, 
and  electrically  illuminated  at  night.  This 
detail  was  never  slighted  when  a  building  was 
erected,  and  the  system  is  splendid. 

The  street  lighting  is  accomplished  by  means 
of  small  arc  lights  of  low  candle  power,  set  into 
the  fronts  of  the  buildings,  with  a  powerful 
reflector  behind,  and  an  opal  shade  in  front  to 
soften  the  rays.  These  lights  are  near  the 
merchants  signs  in  respect  to  height,  and 
arranged  to  distribute  the  light  at  the  proper 
angle.  The  streets  are  beautifully  lighted 
without  poles  of  any  kind.  The  lighting  is  no 
more  expensive  than  before,  as  a  very  high 


REBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       71 

efficiency  light  is  used.  The  space  is  not  valu- 
able, and  the  appearance  of  the  glass  front,  for 
the  lamps,  is  not  at  all  objectionable,  in  the  day- 
time. The  arc  lamps  burn  one  thousand  hours 
without  attention,  which  is  a  radical  advance 
in  the  art. 

The  telephone  -and  electric  wires  are,  of 
course,  underground,  and  now  you  see  what  a 
marked  difference  it  makes  in  the  appearance 
of  our  city. 

All  of  the  electric  cars,  in  the  immediate  city, 
are  -operated  in  subways,  so  we  have  delight- 
fully clean  and  spacious  thoroughfares." 

They  had  reach&l  tihe  office  building  and 
taken  the  elevator  to  Giddings'  office.  There 
the  telegrams,  telephones,  and  visits  of  business 
men  indicated  a  large  business  in  process  of 
transaction.  Giddings  finished  up  his  more 
important  matters  in  about  an  hour,  and  then 
they  went  to  lunch.  If  had  commenced  to  rain 
and  Tom  asked  about  'an  umbrella.  This 
amused  Giddings,  and  he  replied,  "Oh!  well, 
you  are  from  the  East  where  tihey  use  umbrellas. 
We  have  no  more  use  for  them  here.  The 
electric  subway  trains  keep  us  from  getting  wet, 
and  the  Bellamy  concert  umbrella  idea  is  in 
effect,  between  the  subway  entrances  and  the 
business  houses;  also  all  along  the  streets.  We 
can  walk  for  miles,  and  require  neither 
umbrellas  nor  rubbers.  The  weather-proof 
coverings  -are  supported  on  adjustable  and 
movable  mast  arms,  operated  by  electric  motors. 
They  are  quickly  lowered,  and  when  dry,  after 
a  rain,  are  raised  back  into  position. ' ' 

They  had  reached  the  restaurant.  Tom  was 
struck  with  astonishment  to  see  the  size  of  this 
dining-room.  It  was  the  largest  he  had  ever 


72  LOOKING  FORWARD 

seen.  The  place  was  busy,  but  there  was  not 
the  hurry  and  busitle  and  the  rush  for  seats, 
such  as  vhe  had  often  noticed  in  New  York 
restaurants.  The  place  was  noted  for  its  prompt 
service  and  the  excellent  quality  and  variety 
of  its  meats.  Giddings  ordered  <a  porterhouse 
steak  well  done,  when  Tom  suggested  as  far  as 
he  was  concerned  it  was  just  exactly  what  he 
liked  and  would  have  ordered. 

1  'Well,"  said  Giddings,  "it  is  now  just 
eighteen  minutes  past  one,  and  at  twenty-three 
minutes  past,  our  steak  will  be  here  ready  to 
serve.  They  use  the  electric  broiler  which  is  a 
wonder.  I  do  believe  it  has  done  more  to 
educate  people  in  electricity  than  any  other  one 
device. ' ' 

"Yes,"  said  Tom,  "that  broiler  has  been 
popular  everywhere.  The  hotels  and  restaurants 
made  a  great  point  of  it,  as  almost  everybody 
likes  a  nice  porterhouse  steak,  except  for  the 
waiting  of  twenty  to  thirty  minutes  for  it.  The 
device  pleases  all  round,  because  the  cost  of 
operating  is  exceedingly  low.  Yon  see,  only 
four  minutes  for  using  current  represents  a 
marked  economy." 

"Here  it  comes,"  said  Giddings,  looking  at 
his  watch.  "It  has  been  exactly  four  and  a 
half  minutes.  Now  observe  him  cut  it.  See 
how  the  juices  flow  in  great  abundance.  The 
electric  broiler  seals  in  the  nutriment  of  the 
meat,  and  it  is  the  very  best,  quickest  and  most 
economical  of  meats,  when  years  ago  it  was  the 
most  expensive." 

"It  was  very  amusing  in  the  East,"  said 
Tom,  "when  'the  business  men  learned  of  this 
broiler  being  used  in  their  clubs  and  restaurants. 
They  could  not  get  a  duplicate  steak  at  home. 


REBUILDING  SAN  PHANCISCO       73 

At  first  they  requested  it ;  then  failing  to  secure 
it,  they  commenced  to  investigate,  and  study  the 
design  of  the  broilers.  One  gentleman  told  me 
that  finally  the  relations  with  his  wife  were 
getting  a  little  strained,  when  she  produced  for 
dinner  one  evening  an  exact  duplicate  of  the 
electric-ally  broiled  steak.  He  said  that  he 
recognized  ift  thie  minute  'his  carving  knife 
touched  it,  and  his  wife  told  him  all  about  the 
efforts  of  the  ladies  of  the  neighborhood  to 
learn  about  those  'club  steaks/  They  finally 
ascertained  about  the  electric  broiler,  and  pur- 
chased one  for  trial.  This  episode  led  to  the 
trial  of  electric  egg  steamers,  and  soon  every- 
body was  cooking  by  electricity/' 

After  lunch  they  went  back  over  to  the 
office  for  a  half^hour,  and  about  three  o'clock 
joined  the  ladies  for  a  drive,  stopping  at  the 
hotel  for  Evelyn. 

They  had  noted  the  'attractive  architectural 
designs  of  the  houses,  and  Mrs.  Giddings  had 
already  explained  to  'her  'about  the  abandon- 
ment of  chimneys.  She  said  that  the  coal  teams 
were  seen  no  more  on  their  streets.  The  ash 
teams  were  things  of  the  past,  >and  no  more  ice 
wagons  delivered  ice  from  house  to  house  as 
of  yore. 

"The  only  legitimate  place  where  co'al  might 
be  burned,"  said  Giddings,  "would  be  at 
Calif  a,  where  the  current  is  generated;  but 
there,  the  water  supply  is  so  abundant,  that  it  is 
seldom,  if  ever,  needed." 

They  were  just  passing  a  beautiful  residence 
when  attention  was  called  to  the  several 
electrants  located  around  the  yard. 

"Those,"  said  Giddings,  "are  used  very 
freely  out  this  way.  Most  of  them  are  for  elec- 


74  LOOKING  FORWARD 

trie  lawn  mower  connections,  while  that  one  near 

the    driveway   is   for    automobile  use,   or    the 

electric  wheelbarrow.     Another  one  is  a  com- 

.  bination  hydrant  -and   electrant,   as  sometimes 

.  the  gardener  wants  warm  water  for  sprinkling 

the    flowers.      The    stable    is    equipped    with 

'rectifier    for  electric    automobile,  and    electric 

water    heater    in    the    carriage    room,    and    is 

thoroughly  well  wired  for  lighting,  heating,  and 

power    devices.      All   houses   <and    stables    are 

equipped  in  a  similar  way." 

Having  driven  through  the  residential  part 
of  the  city,  Mrs.  Giddings  was  anxious  that 
they  should  see  the  district  in  which  the  stores 
were  located;  so  Giddings  turned  his  electric 
carriage  in  that  direction.  As  they  drove  along 
Tom  had  an  opportunity  to  show  Evelyn  and 
Eethyl  the  interesting  points  that  Giddings  had 
explained  to  him  in  the  morning  about  the 
cleanliness  of  the  streets,  the  improved  arc 
lighting  methods  without  poles,  »and  other 
features  with  which  the  new  San  Francisco  was 
favored. 

The  machine  stopped  in  front  of  one  of  the 
large  blocks,  and  Mrs.  Giddings  said: 

"We  will  go  into  this  large  department  store. 
It  is  one  of  the  largest  concerns  in  the  city,  but 
you  will  be  surprised  at  the  small  amount  of 
space  they  occupy  for  doing  such  a  large  busi- 
ness. You  see,  it  is  handled  somewhat  on  the 
Bellamy  idea,  of  exhibiting  samples  and 
illustrating  uses  of  articles  at 'this  store.  Their 
warehouse  is  located  out  of  the  center  of  the 
city.  It  is  connected,  by  large  tubes,  with  thirty 
or  forty  sub-stations  in  the  several  residential 
sections.  An  order  placed  at  this  store,  is 
telephoned  the  grand  warehouse,  and  the  article 


REBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       75 

or  articles  are  tubed  to  the  sub-station  nearest 
the  purchaser's  address.  At  each  sub-station  an 
electric  automobile  delivers  the  material." 

"Is  the  system  practical?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Giddings,  "the  service  is 
prompt,  and  is  considered  very  accurate. 
Material  is  always  delivered,  before  my  wife 
reaches  home." 

"I  do  not  see  any  chandeliers  at  all,"  said 
Tom,  as  they  entered  the  store.  "How  beauti- 
fully everything  is  exhibited.  It  miakes  one 
anxious  to  purchase  something." 

"Since  the  earthquake  there  'have  been  no 
chandeliers  whatever,  used  in  San  Francisco. 
The  merchants  made  a  special  study  of  this 
point  and  concluded  that  the  metal  ceiling  was 
the  most  indestructible  device  they  could  use. 
Upon  consulting  a  well-known  and  competent 
Illuminating  Engineer,  it  was  learned  that  the 
most  beautiful  decorative  effects  could  be 
secured  with  the  ceiling,  and  it  was  a  most 
accurate  and  abundant  diffuser  of  light.  Some 
of  these  light  diffusing  ceilings  were  exhibited 
at  the  Portland  (Oregon)  Exposition,  as  early 
as  1905,  the  year  before  the  earthquake." 

Giddings  continued  further,  "The  trouble 
with  chandeliers  and  fixtures  in  San  Francisco, 
was  in  connection  with  the  great  amount  of  dam- 
age done  by  their  falling  upon  material  which 
otherwise  would  not  have  been  injured.  In  my 
old  house,  for  example,  the  bedroom  chandelier 
dropped  on  our  bed  during  the  shock  and  added 
still  further  to  our  fright.  In  our  new  house 
we  have  no  chandeliers,  and  metal  ceilings  are 
used  throughout  instead  of  plaster." 

"In  this  same  connection,"  he  said,  "you  will 
see  no  chimneys  here.  The  old  brick  chimneys 


76  LOOKING  FORWARD 

were  abominable  affairs.  They  were  exceed- 
ingly expensive  to  build,  and  then  were  not 
satisfactory.  After  the  shock,  there  was  hardly 
a  chimney  standing  in  the  entire  city.  The 
Insurance  Companies  went  so  far  as  to  'actually 
refuse  policies  unless  chimneys  were  constructed 
of  steel,  with  asbestos  block  lining.  These 
specifications  increased  the  cost  to  an  outrageous 
and  extravagant  degree,  which  drove  the  peo- 
ple into  -a  more  careful  consideration  of 
abandoning  the  chimneys.  The  electrical  com- 
panies assisted  a  great  deal  in  the  matter,  by 
advertising  all  kinds  of  electrical  appliances  for 
light,  'heat,  and  power.  As  early  as  1905 
residences  in  the  East  had  been  advertised  to  be 
without  chimneys.  An  article  in  the  Sunday 
newspapers  described  'A  House  Without  a 
Chimney/  and  it  was  read  out  here  in  Cali- 
fornia with  more  than  passing  interest.  Many 
engineers  commenced  a  careful  study  of  the 
problem,  and  the  great  destruction  of  chimneys 
and  the  awful  feelings  of  the  people  when 
chimneys  fell  on  the  houses,  during  the  shock, 
helped  to  'hasten  the  absolute  abandonment  of 
the  use  of  chimneys.  The  engineers  went  at 
once  to  the  root  of  the  matter  and  determined 
upon  a  system  which  would  not  have  smoke." 
The  ladies  were  very  much  pleased  with  the 
great  improvement  in  the  stores,  and  after  look- 
ing around  fully,  they  returned  to  the  carriage 
and  continued  on  their  drive.  After  driving 
through  many  of  the  more  important  business 
sections  they  arrived  at  Giddings'  office.  He 
was  located  on  the  eighth  floor  and  it  was  a 
pretty  sight  to  look  out  of  the  window,  and 
view  that  wonderful  new  city.  Not  a  curl  of 
smoke,  nor  a  single  smokestack,  to  hide  the 


REBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       77 

most  magnificent  spectacle  which  the  architect- 
ural ages  have  ever  produced.  No  wonder  that 
the  people  were  proud  of  their  (achievements, 
and  no  wonder  that  they  had  invited  the 
National  Electrical  Association  to  meet  at  San 
Francisco  that  year,  as  a  reminder  of  the  great 
electrical  progress  which  they  had  made  in  so 
short  a  time. 

"What  are  your  feelings/'  said  Tom  to  Gid- 
dings,  "in  respect  to  this  marvelous  change  in 
the  appearance  of  the  city?" 

"Well,"  replied  Giddings,  "sometimes  as  I 
look  out  there  over  those  immense  structures, 
so  soon  erected,  and  yet  so  grand  and  complete, 
I  wonder  if  it  is  a  dream,  or  whether  it  is 
really  true.  It  has  recalled  to  my  mind  the 
eighth  chapter  of  Edward  Bellamy's  'Looking 
Backward,'  in  which  he  pictures  Julian  West 
awakening  in  the  year  2,000  after  having  slept 
since  the  night  of  May  30,  1887,  or  113  years. 
I  have  the  book  here  on  my  desk,  as  the  idea 
has  occurred  to  me  several  times  lately,  and  I 
want  to  quote  you  ;a  few  lines,  as  follows : 

"  'None  but  an  antiquarian  who  knows  some- 
thing of  the  contrast  which  the  Boston  of  today 
offers  to  the  Boston  of  the  nineteenth  century 
can  begin  to  appreciate  what  a  series  of  bewilder- 
ing surprises  I  underwent,  during  that  time. 
The  few  old  land-marks  which  still  remained, 
only  intensified  this  effect,  for,  without  them  I 
might  have  imagined  myself  in  a  foreign  town. 
A  man  may  leave  his  native  city  in  childhood, 
and  return  fifty  years  later,  to  find  it  trans- 
formed in  many  features.  He  is  astonished,  but 
he  is  not  bewildered.  He  but  dimly  recalls  the 
city  as  he  knew  it,  when  a  child.  But  remember 
that  there  was  no  sense  of  any  lapse  of  time 


78  LOOKING  FORWARD 

with  me.  So  far  as  my  consciousness  was  con- 
cerned, it  was  but  yesterday,  but  a  few  hours, 
since  I  had  walked  these  streets  in  which 
scarcely  a  feature  had  escaped  a  complete 
metamorphosis.'  5 

"Well,  I  feel  something  like  that/'  said  Gid- 
dings.  "None  of  I/he  old  familiar  sights  are 
here.  I  remember  the  last  afternoon  I  was  in 
my  old  office,  I  sat  and  looked  out  the  window, 
thinking  for  the  longest  while,  little  dreaming 
that  with  the  night,  the  most  wonderful  and 
dreadful  disaster  would  befall  the  city,  which 
the  world  has  ever  known.  On  that  April  night 
in  1906  old  San  Francisco  was  obliterated  from 
the  face  of  the  map,  and  there  from  the  window 
can  be  seen  the  greatest  of  all  changes  which 
any  city,  in  ,any  part  of  the  world,  has  ever 
experienced.  Only  25  years  after,  and  we  have 
conditions  in  San  Francisco,  which  would  do 
honor  to  tihe  farsighted  prophecies  of  Edward 
Bellamy  in  that  famous  book  of  1887.  We  must 
read  over  the  entire  book,  while  you  are  here, 
and  I  will  try  and  show  you  what  a  great  share 
electricity  'has  taken  in  producing  many  of  the 
so-called  Bellamy  conditions  in  1912,  only  a 
quarter  of  a  century  since  his  book  was  written, 
and  in  which  he  allotted  the  year  2000  or  113 
years  for  his  prophecies  to  come  true." 

They  all  drove  home  with  a  feeling  that  the 
day  had  been  one  of  education  to  them.  Tom 
found  a  telegram  upon  his  arrival  at  Giddings' 
house,  requesting  him  to  return  at  once,  which 
was  a  great  disappointment. 

Evelyn  had  to  go  over  to  the  hotel,  and  as 
Tom  wanted  to  answer  tlhe  telegram,  he  rode 
error  there  with  her. 

"I   -am  awfully  sorry,    Mr.  Appleton,    that 


REBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       79 

you  have  to  return,"  she  said,  "surely  we  have 
been  having  a  good  time,  and  I  had  never 
thought  that  you  would  miss  the  Convention 
sessions. ' ' 

"I  am  sorry  also,"  said  Tom,  with  an  unsuc- 
cessful effort  to  conceal  his  disappointment. 
While  the  convention  was  interesting  to  him, 
there  was  another  reason  why  he  wanted  to  stay, 
and  it  was  far  more  important  than  anything 
which  the  business  end  might  have  in  store  for 
'him.  He  was  very  happy  therefore  when 
Evelyn  said,  "I  will  write  and  tell  you  all  that 
is  going  on,  and  will  ask  father  to  see  that  you 
get  a  set  of  the  papers,  which  are  read  before 
the  Convention." 

When  Evelyn  had  thus  spoken,  Tom  began  to 
cheer  up,  and  they  were  soon  talking  about  the 
reception  which  was  to  be  held  at  the  hotel  that 
evening. 

They  had  reached  the  'hotel  by  this  time.  Tom 
sent  his  telegram,  and  Evelyn  left  to  go  up  and 
dress  for  dinner. 

He  had  wired  to  Millville  that  he  would 
return  at  once,  and  then  had  gone  back  to  Gid- 
dings'  house  for  dinner. 

It  was  a  jolly  crowd  which  met  that  evening 
at  the  hotel.  It  was  the  evening  before  the 
Convention  was  to  open,  and  delegates  were 
arriving  and  greeting  old  friends  whom  they 
had  not  seen  since  the  last  meeting.  Naturally 
Evelyn's  father  was  a  prominent  figure  as 
President  of  the  Association,  and  while  Evelyn 
had  a  great  many  demands  on  her  time,  she  was 
able  to  be  with  Tom  and  Eethyl  a  good  deal. 

After  the  reception,  dancing  commenced,  and 
the  occasion  reminded  Tom  very  much  of  the 
College  Ball  at  Northington.  There  was  one 


80  LOOKING  FORWARD 

exception,  and  a  pleasant  one  too,  that  Sheldon 
was  not  around  to  mar  their  pleasure.  The  first 
dance  Tom  had  with  his  sister,  and  it  was  a 
pleasure  to  him  to  see  how  much  she  was  enjoy- 
ing the  trip  and  this  particular  occasion. 

As  they  sat  down,  Evelyn  came  up,  and  after 
introducing  her  partner,  said,  "I  am  awfully 
glad  that  you  are  leaving  Eethyl  with  us.  We 
shall  take  good  care  of  her  and  bring  her  home 
safely." 

"I  am  highly  grateful/'  said  Tom, ' 'I  am  sure 
she  will  enjoy  it,  and  I  shall  feel  sie  is  in  safe 
keep  ing. " 

The  very  next  dance  Evelyn  had  engaged, 
but  the  one  after  that  Tom  had  spoken  for,  and 
as  he  wrote  down  his  name  on  the  program, 
Evelyn  shyly  suggested  that  he  might  cross  off 
an  extra  one  while  'he  had  the  card.  This  made 
Tom  feel  good,  and  was  almost  sufficient  com- 
pensation for  his  having  to  return. 

The  music  once  more  started,  and  a  dreamy 
waltz  was  the  excuse  for  Tom  to  speed  away 
around  the  hall,  with  his  arm  about  the  waist 
of  Evelyn  Tyler.  He  knew  perfectly  well  that 
he  preferred  to  dance  with  her  more  than  all 
others,  and  there  were  some  things  that  led  him 
to  believe  that  she  liked  to  dance  with  him,  but 
it  did  not  occur  to  him  for  a  moment  that  she 
entertained  any  more  than  a  kindly  feeling  for 
him.  Surely  he  must  not  think  of  anything  else, 
as  'he  has  his  plans  definitely  laid  out,  and  he 
has  no  business  to  think  of  this  lovely,  wealthy 
young  girl,  except  in  'a  very  friendly  way. 

They  finish,  and  ihave  an  interesting  talk, 
after  which  a  lively  two-step  once  more  brings 
them  to  the  floor.  Many  a  couple  stop  and  gaze 
as  Tom  and  Evelyn  glide  down  the  hall.  They 


REBUILDING  SAN  FRANCISCO       81 

present  a  commanding  appearance;  their  danc- 
ing is  graceful,  and  the  remark  is  general  that 
they  are  the  handsomest  pair  on  the  floor. 

All  too  soon  the  hour  grew  late.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Giddings  felt  it  was  time  to  leave,  and  Tom 
had  to  say  good-bye  to  them.  His  sister  was  not 
going  home  with  him,  and  kissing  her  fondly 
they  bade  each  other  good  night  to  meet  again 
in  Northington  in  about  ten  days  or  two  weeks. 

After  bidding  good-bye  to  Evelyn's  father 
and  mother,  thanking  them  heartily  for  their 
watchfulness  over  his  sister,  Tom  shook  hands 
with  Evelyn.  Again  sfae  promised  to  write  him 
about  the  proceedings  of  the  Convention,  and 
with  this  thought  on  his  mind,  they  parted. 

The  midnight  electric  train  from  San  Fran- 
cisco had  on  board  a  man  who  was  happy 
because  Evelyn  Tyler  had  treated  him  so  kindly. 
Not  yet  must  he  think  of  anything  else  from  her 
but  kindness.  Their  stations  in  life  are  different, 
and  he  has  other  responsibilities  that  make  it 
impossible  for  him  to  think  of  Evelyn  Tyler 
other  than  in  a  friendly  way. 

With  these  thoughts  Tom  Appleton  went  to 
sleep. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION. 

The  Tyler  family  was  awake  and  down  to 
breakfast  early  the  next  morning.  It  was  a 
beautiful  day  and  they  were  all  feeling  exceed- 
ingly happy. 

During  the  meal  Evelyn  casually  mentioned 
to  her  father  that  she  would  like  to  have  him 
secure  for  her  two  sets  of  Convention  papers. 

"Why  do  you  wish  two  sets?"  he  inquired. 

"I  desire  to  read  all  the  papers  myself,"  said 
Evelyn,  "and  I  promised  Mr.  Appleton  I  would 
send  him  a  set." 

"Oh!  I  see,"  said  Mr.  Tyler,  "I  shall  be 
pleased  to  arrange  it.  I  rather  like  the  appear- 
ance of  young  Appleton.  I  heard  through  an 
officer  of  his  company  a  while  ago,  that  he  is 
quite  a  valuable  man  for  them." 

Neither  father  nor  mother  Tyler  noticed  the 
flush  which  came  to  Evelyn's  cheeks,  nor  the 
very  pleased  expression. 

Breakfast  was  soon  finished,  and  they  were  all 
assembled  in  the  hotel  lobby  awaiting  the  hour 
of  the  opening  session.  Some  of  the  members 
of  the  Executive  Committee  soon  made  their 
appearance,  'and  the  Mayor  of  San  Francisco 
was  introduced  to  them.  After  a  short  informal 
talk  the  gentlemen  lighted  cigars  and  strolled 
along  the  corridors  to  a  large  assembly  hall, 
where  the  sessions  were  to  be  held.  It  had 
been  arranged  that  the  ladies  would  attend  the 

82 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION  83 

opening  session,  listen  to  the  speech  of  welcome 
by  the  Mayor,  and  the  President's  address. 

Promptly  'at  ten  o'clock  all  the  delegates  had 
taken  seats.  E  ethyl  had  come  over  with  Mrs. 
Giddings,  and  with  Evelyn  and  Mrs.  Tyler,  they 
were  all  seated  where  they  could  see  and  hear 
well. 

President  Tyler  was  in  the  chair,  and  wait- 
ing for  a  few  moments,  until  all  were  quiet,  he 
arose,  formally  opened  the  Thirty-fifth  Con- 
vention of  the  National  Electrical  Association, 
and  introduced  Mayor  Weaver  of  San  Francisco. 

As  Mayor  Weaver  arose,  his  commanding 
presence  was  noted,  and  the  attention  of  the 
audience  was  at  once  attracted.  He  spoke  as 
follows : 

"Mr.  President,  ladies  and  members  of  this 
great  National  Electrical  Association,  in  behalf 
of  the  City  of  San  Francisco,  I  extend  to  you 
a  hearty  welcome  within  our  gates.  It  is  fitting 
that  your  Association  should  have  selected  this 
spot  for  its  debates  and  discussions  on  a  sub- 
ject in  connection  with  which  we  have  been 
very  closely  associated  since  the  earliest  com- 
mercial application  of  electricity,  and  more 
particularly  since  the  earthquake  of  1906. 

*  *  It  was  electricity  which  first  carried  the  news 
of  our  disaster,  by  means  of  the  wireless  tele- 
graph system,  to  our  friends,  and  which  brought 
us  messages  of  encouragement  and  support  in 
the  time  of  our  great  need. 

' '  It  was  electricity  which  first  gave  us  light  on 
our  streets,  after  many  nights  of  darkness  and 
despair. 

"Electricity  has  helped  us  to  build  more 
quickly  than  we  could  possibly  have  done  with- 
out it.  All  the  steel  with  which  our  magnificent 


84  LOOKING  FORWARD 

buildings  were  erected,  came  from  mills  equipped 
throughout  with  electricity. 

' '  The  marvelous  advances  in  the  electrical  arts 
have  enabled  us  to  rebuild  with  a  beauty  in 
design  never  before  appreciated  by  any  other 
city  in  the  world.  Our  architects  have  received 
the  highest  compliments  with  which  men  in  any 
time  in  past  history  have  been  favored,  and 
their  works  have  been  the  source  of  admiration 
from  all  who  have  visited  this  new  and  beautiful 
city. 

1 1  The  electrical  engineers  (have  been  of  marvel- 
ous assistance  to  the  architects.  They  were  suc- 
cessful in  the  installation  of  an  electrical  plant 
at  Califa,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  here, 
furnishing  all  the  light,  heat,  and  power  to  the 
city  for  its  needs,  commercially,  industrially, 
-and  domestically.  They  helped  us  to  abandon 
the  use  of  chimneys  of  all  kinds,  and  all  San 
Francisco  is  glad  of  this  accomplishment.  The 
architects  too  rejoiced  because  of  this  great  im- 
provement, and  their  designs  are  more  beautiful 
by  reason  of  such  advances  in  the  arts. 

"I  take  pleasure  in  announcing  on  behalf  of 
our  Entertainment  Committee  that  they  have 
arranged  for  electric  carriages  to  be  at  your 
disposal  during  the  entire  Convention,  that  you 
may  conveniently  visit  all  our  various  parks, 
stores,  public  departments  and  any  other  sections 
of  the  city  where  you  may  wish  to  go.  The 
gates  of  the  city  are  wide  open  to  you  while 
you  remain  with  us,  and  again  I  extend  to  you 
in  behalf  of  the  city,  a  most  cordial  welcome. 
Mav  your  proceedings  be  attended  with  success, 
and  we  hope  that  your  stay  among  us  may  be 
so  pleasant  as  to  make  you  desire  to  return  and 
pay  us  another  visit  at  an  early  date." 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION     85 

As  he  finished,  a  loud  applause,  long  con- 
tinued, was  indicative  of  general  appreciation 
by  the  ladies  and  members. 

Immediately  after  Mayor  Weaver  left, 
the  President  delivered  his  annual  address  to 
the  Association.  The  discourse  was  printed  in 
full  that  day  in  the  San  Francisco  Times,  and 
the  following  is  a  verbatim  copy  of  the  editorial, 
commenting  most  favorably,  not  only  on  the 
able  manner  in  which  it  was  delivered,  but 
particularly  upon  the  marvelous  progress  of 
electricity  in  the  year  1912. 

"The  National  Electrical  Association  opened 
its  first  session  this  morning  at  ten  o'clock  with 
the  largest  attendance  which  the  organization 
has  ever  enjoyed.  For  several  days  special  elec- 
tric trains  have  been  bringing  in  delegates  from 
all  parts  of  the  country.  The  New  York,  Boston 
and  Philadelphia  delegations  each  had  special 
through  trains.  It  is  said  that  the  membership 
has  now  reached  the  large  number  of  4,500 
central-station  men.  The  organization  has 
encouraged  the  delegates  to  bring  their  wives 
and  children,  and  San  Francisco  is  favored  with 
between  six  and  seven  thousand  visitors  due  to 
this  electrical  convention. 

"President  Tyler  delivered  a  masterful 
address,  presenting  the  great  and  wonderful 
progress  of  electricity  in  a  most  able  and 
forcible  manner. 

"His  comparative  figures  of  the  amount  of 
business  in  1912  with  those  of  1902  are  interest- 
ing. The  Department  of  Commerce  iand  Labor 
at  Washington,  D.  C.  in  1902  reported  the 
income  of  Electric  Lighting  Companies  for  the 
year  1900.  They  were  roughly  as  follows : 


86  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Electric  Lighting   $70,000.000 

Electric  Power    12,000,000 

Miscellaneous  4,000,000 


Total  $86,000,000 

"The  report  of  1912  by  that  Department 
shows  the  enormously  increased  figures  as  fol- 
lows: 

Electric  Heating $240,000,000 

Electric  Power    200,000,000 

Electric  Lighting   160,000,000 


Total  $600,000,000 

"The  growth  of  the  electric  heating  business 
is  very  remarkable.  We,  in  San  Francisco,  take 
great  pride  in  this  branch  of  the  industry,  as  we 
were  first  to  introduce  electric  heating  generally 
for  all  kinds  iof  work.  In  the  homes  our  ladies 
were  first  in  the  land  to  use  electric  kitchen 
outfits,  power  motors  for  household  purposes, 
and  electric  lighting  exclusively.  The  record 
of  this  year  1912  shows  more  electric  auto- 
mobiles in  use  in  San  Francisco  than  any  other 
city  in  the  world,  in  proportion  to  its  size.  The 
use  of  electricity  in  the  'homes  brought  about 
this  favorable  record,  because  electric  autos 
could  be  charged  at  the  home  at  all  times;  and 
the  Electrical  Company  arranged  such  a  plenti- 
ful supply  of  electrants,  or  charging  posts,  that 
no  owner  of  an  electric  machine  ever  had  to 
bother  about  being  out  of  current. 

"President  Tyler's  remarks  about  the  Elec- 
trical Co-operative  Improvement  Association  will 
meet  with  much  favor  in  this  section.  That 
Association  hag  earned  its  reputation.  Its  work 
has  long  since  extended  to  our  Coast,  and  we 
have  benefited  by  it. 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION    87 

"It  is  interesting  to  know  that  no  further 
back  than  1906  the  present  National  Electrical 
Association  was  called  the  National  Electric 
Light  Association.  In  1907,  however,  the  sub- 
ject was  brought  up  for  discussion  as  to  why 
it  should  be  called  National  Electric  Light 
Association  when  the  power  and  heating  ends  of 
the  business  were  becoming  such  important 
factors  in  connection  with  the  industry.  A 
resolution  was  therefore  adopted  to  change  the 
name  to  the  one  Which  it  now  bears,  and  which 
is  surely  more  appropriate. 

1  'When  we  look  back  upon  the  industry,  only 
six  years  finds  us  in  1906  with  an  incandescent 
lamp  of  three  watts  consumption  per  candle, 
power.  Then  with  remarkable  rapidity  the  years 
1907  and  1908  had  introduced  commercial 
lamps  of  one  watt  consumption  per  candle. 
Now  in  this  year  of  1912,  Prof.  Stoenmitz  has 
discovered  a  new  material  which  bids  fair  to 
give  us  one-quarter  of  a  watt  per  candle,  and 
we  laymen  ask  when  will  such  wonderful  de- 
velopments cease. 

' '  The  industry  covering  the  manufacture  and 
sale  of  steam  engines  has  been  revolutionized. 
In  all  sections  of  this  country  and  in  all  parts 
of  the  world,  steam  turbines  have  everywhere 
been  installed  in  place  of  the  old  style  stationary 
engines.  And  this  situation  is  due  to  the  ag- 
gressiveness of  the  electrical  people  and  the  pro- 
gressive character  of  their  vast  and  rapid 
developments. 

"The  arc  lighting  field  has  also  been  simultan- 
eously revolutionized  and  our  cities  and  all  our 
small  towns  are  brilliantly  illuminated  with  a 
great  many  more  arcs  than  ever  before,  yet  at 
no  greater  expense.  We  marvel  at  the  rapid 


88  LOOKING  FORWARD 

progress  of  the  electrical  arts,  and  we  rejoice 
greatly  that  each  and  every  improvement  has 
had  such  an  important  bearing  and  such  a  bene- 
ficial effect  upon  our  social  life,  our  industrial 
welfare,  and  our  domestic  happiness. 

11 In  passing  we  must  mention  the  likewise  re- 
markable growth  of  the  electric  railway  system. 

"Until  the  year'1906  it  was  a  common  expres- 
sion to  say  the  ' '  electric  street  railway  system, ' ' 
but  now  with  the  tremendous  extensions  of  elec- 
tric roads  replacing  steam  railroads  we  have  an 
industry  with  which  there  is  no  comparison  for 
rapid  and  remarkable  growth. 

"We  join  Mayor  Weaver  in  wishing  this  Elec- 
trical Convention  a  most  prosperous  meeting, 
•and  wish  the  delegates  to  know  that  we  voice  the 
feelings  of  the  people,  when  we  say  we  are 
keenly  interested  in  all  their  electrical  matters. 
We  all  use  the  devices  in  our  homes,  our  places 
of  business,  our  factories,  mills,  streets,  parks, 
and  in  every  phase  of  life  we  are  dealing  with 
electricity  in  some  form  or  other." 

The  ladies  retired  from  the  meeting  soon  after 
the  President's  address,  'and  later  in  the  day 
Evelyn  saw  the  Times  article,  which  she  cut  out 
and  sent  to  Tom,  together  with  the  set  of  papers 
to  be  read  before  the  Convention.  In  her  letter 
she  was  somewhat  careful  'about  the  wording  for 
some  reason,  she  could  hardly  tell  why.  When 
she  first  met  Tom  and  rode  with  him  in  his  auto- 
mobile, she  was  free  and  easy,  almost  to  the 
point  of  a  careless  manner,  thinking  only  of  the 
fun  as  the  happy  hours  flew  past.  But  now,  it 
was  a  question  of  what  would  Tom  think,  and 
Should  she  let  him  know  by  any  sign  whatever 
that  she  cared  for  him.  As  she  was  pondering 
over  these  thoughts,  Eethyl  came  up  behind  her, 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION     89 

and  asked  her  the  cause  of  such  depth  of  thought 
when  they  were  having  such  a  good  time. 

"Eethyl,"  said  Evelyn,  "yon  remember  when 
we  were  on  the  train  the  other  evening  just  be- 
fore arriving  in  San  Francisco,  we  talked  a 
great  deal  about  your  brother. " 

"Yes,  I  remember,  now  you  mention  it," 
replied  Eethyl. 

"Of  course  you  did  not  mention  it  to  him, 
did  you  Eethyl?" 

"Oh  no!  Of  course  I  didn't.  What  makes  you 
think  I  did?"  she  asked. 

"I  was  just  thinking,  that's  all  Eethyl,  and  you 
are  the  dearest  sister  a  brother  could  possibly 
have. ' '  With  this  she  put  her  arms  around  her 
and  gave  her  -a  sweet  hug  and  kiss. 

That  afternoon  the  ladies  all  went  for  a  drive, 
while  the  second  session  of  the  Association  was 
assembled.  They  returned  about  five-thirty 
and  one  of  the  first  things  Evelyn  did  was  to 
look  up  her  father  and  congratulate  him  in  con- 
nection with  his  address. 

"Well,  Evelyn,  have  you  enjoyed  the  day?" 
he  asked. 

"Yes,  indeed,  father,  I  have.  The  city  is  the 
most  beautiful  one  I  ever  visited,  and  the  Enter- 
tainment Committee  works  so  hard  to  please 
everybody ! ' ' 

"By  the  way  Evelyn,  Commodore  Whipple, 
an  old  friend  of  mine  is  here,  and  has  invited  all 
the  ladies  to  go  down  the  bay  tomorrow  morning 
in  his  yacht.  I  think  it  will  please  you  particu- 
larly, as  he  has  it  equipped  with  every  conceiv- 
able electric  contrivance  which  will  add  to  his 
convenience.  He  is  very  anxious  to  meet  you, 
and  I  am  sure  you  will  enjoy  his  acquaintance." 

Just  then  they  looked  up  and  saw  the  Com- 


90  LOOKING  FORWARD 

modore  coming  toward  them.  He  took  Mr.  Tyler 
by  the  hand  and  heartily  congratulated  him  on 
his  address,  Which  he  had  just  finished  reading. 

"And  this  is  your  daughter?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  and  I  am  glad  to  have  her  know  you, 
Commodore. '  ' 

Evelyn  shook  hands  with  him,  and  noted  a 
man  of  sixty  years,  with  iron  grey  hair  and 
heavy  mustache.  He  was  tall  and  broad-should- 
ered, such  a  build  as  one  would  expect  from  a 
man  weighing  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 
His  manner  was  exceedingly  cordial,  and  Evelyn 
liked  him  at  once. 

"I  am  to  have  the  pleasure  of  your  company 
tomorrow  morning  Miss  Evelyn,"  he  said,  "and 
your  mother  has  accepted  my  invitation  also.  I 
hope  all  the  ladies  will  do  so,  I  want  them  to  see 
our  harbor,  and  I  want  you  particularly  to  see 
my  yacht.  I  have  heard  all  about  your  electrical 
knowledge,  and  I  have  been  looking  for  a  first- 
class  electrical  engineer  to  inspect  my  installa- 
tion." 

"I  know  I  shall  enjoy  it,"  said  Evelyn,  "and 
my  friend  Miss  Appleton  will  be  much  interested 
also  in  the  electrical  features.  She  was  grad- 
uated with  me  at  South  Holly  Falls,  and  took 
the  same  course. ' ' 

"Well,  well,  I  shall  be  glad  indeed  to  meet 
her,"  said  Commodore  Whipple,  in  a  manner 
which  attracted  Evelyn's  notice,  as  it  was  not 
the  usual  careless  way  people  sometimes  make 
such  a  statement. 

Soon  the  Commodore  excused  himself,  and  the 
others  went  in  to  dinner.  The  evening  passed 
with  a  reception,  orchestral  selections  by  the 
Telharmonium  and  other  musical  features.  By 
eleven  o'clock  Evelyn  had  retired,  and  was  sleep- 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION  91 

ing  soundly  when  called  at  six-thirty  the  next 
morning  for  breakfast. 

Again  the  weather  was  perfect,  and  when 
about  half -past  nine  all  the  ladies  were  as- 
sembled ready  to  take  carriages  to  the  yacht,  it 
was  a  pretty  sight  to  watch  them  get  started. 

Eethyl  had  come  over  with  Mrs.  Giddings  to 
join  them  at  the  hotel  and  have  the  auto  ride  to 
the  dock.  Commodore  "Whipple  was  on  hand, 
greeting  all  the  ladies  in  a  most  gracious  man- 
ner. When  Evelyn  introduced  Eethyl  to  him  he 
declared  he  had  never  set  eyes  on  two  such  hand- 
some girls  before  in  his  life. 

They  finally  started  and  an  hour  later  were 
comfortably  located  on  the  yacht  which  was 
underway  and  speeding  quietly  along,  While  a 
guide  was  pointing  out  the  prominent  points  of 
interest  on  either  shore. 

The  Commodore  with  Evelyn  and  Eethyl  was 
telling  about  the  use  of  batteries  on  his  yacht. 
He  said  that  everything  about  electricity  was  so 
clean  that  he  enjoyed  using  it.  He  (had  the  de- 
signer of  the  boat  make  out  a  list  for  him,  of  all 
kinds  of  conveniences  which  would  make  the 
yacht  up-to-date  in  every  way. 

At  first  'he  said  they  had  thought  of  electric 
light  only,  but  found  upon  investigation  that 
electricity  was  needed  on  board  almost  every 
minute  of  the  day,  for  some  purpose.  Therefore 
he  installed  a  large  size  generator  and  batteries, 
in  addition  to  the  steam  installation,  and  for 
running  around  the  harbor,  and  taking  short 
trips  the  boat  was  propelled  by  electricity.  The 
electric  hoist  for  loading  supplies  looked  com- 
pact and  was  very  useful.  The  Commodore  said. 

11 1  have  on  board  the  electric  Telharmonium. 
This  is  my  bedroom,  and  there  at  the  head  of 


92  LOOKING  FORWARD 

the  bed  is  the  switch.  I  am  passionately  fond 
of  music,  and  always  upon  retiring  select  some 
dreamy  piece  of  music,  which  is  pleasing  and 
restful.  The  instrument  is  arranged  for  cutting 
out  automatically  when  the  selection  is  finished, 
so  if  I  go  to  sleep  while  it  is  playing  it  does  not 
matter. 

11  There  over  the  head  board  is  the  electric 
heating  pad.  Say,  I  would  not  be  without  that 
for  anything.  Such  a  simple  device  and  yet  the 
most  important  thing  on  this  yacht!"  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"Why  do  you  need  so  many  cigar  lighters?" 
asked  Evelyn. 

"Why  here  is  one  attached  to  this  arm  chair," 
said  E ethyl. 

"That  is  wlhat  I  call  convenience,"  he  said, 
"I  was  always  bothered  with  matches,  because 
I  never  had  one  when  it  was  wanted.  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  on  my  yacht  I  would  have 
plenty  of  these.  They  are  the  safest  thing  on 
the  boat,  and  the  wiring  for  them  doesn't  cost 
much.  They  do  not  consume  hardly  any  cur- 
rent." 

"We  are  anxious  to  see  your  kitchen,"  the 
girls  said  at  the  same  time. 

"All  right,  come  this  way,"  and  he  showed 
them  the  neatest,  cleanest  kitchen  they  had  ever 
dreamed  of.  Both  girls  knew  what  a  nice 
kitchen  should  look  like,  but  this  was  a  marvel 
of  neatness. 

1 1  Girls,  I  know  you  enjoy  this  room,  but 
strange  to  say  I  like  it  about  as  much  as  any 
room  on  the  boat.  The  cook  says  he  can  keep  it 
as  clean  as  a  reception  room.  Those  electrical 
cooking  utensils  tickle  him  most  to  pieces.  I 
like  to  come  into  the  kitchen  now  and  then  just 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION     93 

to  hear  him  talk.  You  see  we  have  an  instan- 
taneous water  heater  here.  Can  get  water  in 
fifty  seconds  any  time.  I  have  one  attached  to 
my  bath-tub  also. 

1 1  Well  now,  tell  me,  am  I  behind  the  times 
electrically  ?  You  girls  ought  to  know  if  anybody 
does.  Tell  me  frankly  now,  because  I  am  look- 
ing you  straight  in  the  eye. ' ' 

"It  is  complete  in  every  detail,"  replied 
Evelyn. 

* '  I  wish  my  brother  Tom  could  have  seen  it, ' ' 
said  Eethyl.  "It  is  perfect  from  the  standpoint 
of  electrical  engineering. ' ' 

"Girls,  you  flatter  me,"  continued  the  Com- 
modore, but  you  must  come  over  to  my  new 
home,  and  see  how  much  we  have  done  over  there 
electrically.  Of  course,  you  electrical  people 
think  of  these  improvements  from  your  end  of 
the  subject,  but  we,  who  use  what  the  industry 
produces,  are  serious  in  our  praises  of  the  practi- 
cal value  of  such  devices.  We  cannot  get  along 
without  them  now,  and  I  for  one  shall  not  try  to 
do  so.  Why  out  at  my  camp  I  have  had  wires 
strung  for  fifty  miles  through  the  woods,  and  we 
have  our  home  conveniences  at  camp  along  with 
the  great  log  fires.  We  do  not  lose  any  of  the 
old  time  pleasures  of  the  woods  and  fields.  We 
have  our  fishing  just  the  same,  but  when  we  get 
in  from  the  day's  romp,  it  is  pleasing  to  know 
that  some  of  our  own  home  conveniences  are 
waiting  there  for  us.  They  remind  us  of  home, 
and  we  rest  in  comfort,  and  are  happier  because 
of  them.  That,  girls,  is  the  other  side  of  the 
subject,  which  a  representative  of  the  public  and 
the  people,  has  to  offer. ' ' 

After  this  statement  they  went  out  on  deck 
again,  and  joined  the  rest  of  the  party  in  the 


94  LOOKING  FORWARD 

pleasures  of  sight-seeing  up  and  down  the  harbor 
of  the  famous  San  Francisco  Bay. 

Over  at  the  Convention  Hall  the  closing  hours 
of  the  remarkable  meeting  were  fast  drawing 
them  on  toward  another  final  adjournment.  The 
members  and  Executive  Gommittee  had  insisted 
upon  Mr.  Tyler  accepting  the  President's  chair 
for  one  more  term,  because  of  the  great  Inter- 
national Electrical  Congress  to  meet  at  Berlin  in 
September.  They  desired  to  be  strongly  repre- 
sented, and  had  appointed  President  Tyler  as  a 
delegate  to  that  Convention. 

In  a  most  dignified  speech,  in  which  much 
feeling  was  exhibited,  he  thanked  them  heartily 
for  their  faith  in  him,  for  the  support  which 
they  had  accorded  him  in  the  administration  of 
the  affairs  of  the  Association,  and,  amidst  cheers 
and  loud  applause,  he  directed  that  the  Thirty 
Fifth  Convention  of  the  National  Electrical  As- 
sociation stood  adjourned. 

Commodore  Whipple  and  the  Giddings  family 
had  been  invited  to  dine  with  them,  and  it  was  a 
jolly  party  which  was  around  the  table  that 
evening.  They  drank  to  the  health  of  the  out- 
going President,  Mr.  Tyler,  and  to  the  health  of 
the  incoming  President,  Mr.  Tyler,  and  further 
to  the  health  of  the  newly  elected  delegate  to  the 
International  Electrical  Congress,  Mr.  Tyler. 
He  said  he  felt  they  were  loading  him  too  much. 
Then  Evelyn  suggested  a  toast  to  Mr.  Appleton, 
now  on  the  train  going  East,  and  a  safe  journey 
to  him. 

So,  with  a  great  deal  of  fun  and  good  cheer, 
the  party  sat  around  the  table  until  late  into  the 
evening.  Before  retiring,  they  bade  the  Com- 
modore and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Giddings  good-bye,  all 
promising  to  come  East  and  visit  them.  The  next 


THE  ELECTRICAL  CONVENTION     95 

evening  they  started  for  home,  with  pleasant 
memories  of  a  happy  occasion,  and  loaded  with 
about  as  much  honor  as  any  one  man  can  safely 
carry. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   AUTOMOBILE   RIDE. 

Very  little  had  been  heard  of  Frank  Sheldon 
since  the  night  when  his  anger  gained  the  better 
of  his  judgment  at  the  college  reception,  and 
Tom  Appleton  gave  'him  a  black  eye.  He  was 
still  down  at  Hollywood,  managing  the  gas  busi- 
ness, although  to  be  truthful  there  was  little  to 
manage,  and  he  was  not  at  his  office  but  an  hour 
or  so  a  day.  In  fact,  for  many  days  at  a  time  he 
would  be  away  from  the  city.  Nobody  knew 
where  he  had  gone  or  when  he  would  return.  His 
father  seldom  came  there,  and  took  so  little  in- 
terest in  the  business,  that  the  business  hours 
and  habits  of  his  son  did  not  worry  him.  Frank 
had  been  down  to  New  York  for  a  few  days,  and 
one  morning  at  the  breakfast  table  his  mother 
asked  him  about  'his  progress  in  connection  with 
Evelyn. 

"Well,  mother,  I  am  not  getting  on  very 
rapidly.  Evelyn  does  not  seem  to  care  for  me. 
I  think  it  is  on  account  of  that  fellow  Apple- 
ton." 

"Who  is  Appleton,"  asked  his  mother? 

"Oh,  he  is  an  electrician  from  Millville.  I 
used  to  know  him  when  I  was  up  at  the  Glen- 
dale  Works.  He  was  one  of  the  men  under  my 
charge. ' ' 

"Is  that  so?"  said  Mrs.  Sheldon.    "I  should 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  97 

0 

think  lie  was  very  audacious  to  think  of  such  a 
thing  as  trying  to  gain  favor  with  the  Apple- 
tons.  I  shall  surely  speak  to  your  father  about 
it,  and  he  will  mention  the  matter  to  Evelyn 's 
father.  I  do  not  think  her  parents  realize  the 
position  of  that  young  upstart,  or  they  would 
not  allow  her  to  travel  in  his  company." 

Just  then  Mr.  Sheldon  came  in  to  breakfast, 
looking  somewhat  pale,  and  nervous.  His  wife, 
however,  did  not  notice  his  appearance,  but 
started  at  once  to  tell  him  all  about  Frank's  pre- 
dicament. 

"I  cannot  be  bothered  with  such  details,"  he 
said,  "Frank  can  marry  whom  he  chooses,  but  I 
would  advise  him  to  brace  up  first  and  make 
something  of  himself.  I  am  not  well  satisfied 
with  his  career  thus  far.  I  had  expected  him  to 
go  back  up  to  the  Glendale  Works,  and  become 
an  electrical  engineer,  but  for  some  reason  or 
other  he  has  never  returned,  and  I  have  always 
had  a  suspicion  that  he  did  not  leave  there  with 
the  best  of  feeling.  I  thought  perhaps  he  would 
make  a  success  up  at  Hollywood  but  the  reports 
I  secure  are  not  very  encouraging.  I  had  to 
work  for  a  living  when  a  boy,  and  I  believe  every 
young  man,  after  leaving  college  should  work 
hard  to  get  a  commercial,  or  professional  foot- 
hold. Therefore,  Frank,  I  advise  you  to  work 
and  merit  the  admiration  of  the  young  lady  for 
your  achievements ;  tlhen  you  may  reasonably  ex- 
pect to  win  her." 

Having  said  this,  Mr.  Sheldon  finished  his 
breakfast  in  silence,  while  Frank  and  his  mother 
left  the  table  and  talked  further  about  the  mat- 
ter in  her  morning-room. 

Frank  left  New  York  late  that  afternoon  for 
Hollywood,  and  while  on  the  train  his  thoughts 


98  LOOKING  FORWARD 

more  than  once  dwelt  upon  Tom  Appleton  and 
his  success.  He  could  not  bear  to  think  of  Tom 
winning  Evelyn,  and  yet  it  looked  as  if  he  would 
do  so  unless  something  were  done  to  prevent  it. 

On  the  train  he  met  an  old  chum  bound  for 
Hollywood,  and  during  the  course  of  conversa- 
tion he  told  Frank  that  he  saw  Tom  Appleton  a 
couple  of  days  before  in  Northington,  and  under- 
stood that  he  was  to  be  there  for  several  days. 
This  set  Frank  to  thinking  seriously,  and  it 
occurred  to  him  that  he  should  immediately  go 
to  Northington  and  look  things  over.  Perhaps 
he  could  arrange  matters  so  that  Tom  would  not 
have  a  very  pleasant  vacation  with  Evelyn,  even 
though  Sheldon  himself  could  not  again  enjoy 
her  society. 

Tom  Appleton  was  sitting  on  the  veranda 
at  the  home  of  his  parents  in  Northington  care- 
fully reading  over  again  for  the  hundredth 
time,  the  note  he  had  received  from  Evelyn.  He 
had  been  much  interested  by  the  Convention  pa- 
pers and  appreciated  her  kindness  in  sending 
them  to  him,  but  there  was  something  about  that 
simple  note  which  attracted  him  particularly. 
She  had  said : 

"My  dear  Mr.  Appleton,  I  hope  you  will 
reach  home  safely."  Now,  why  should  she  care 
whether  he  arrived  home  safely,  or  not,  he 
thought.  Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  after  all, 
perhaps  it  was  a  mere  phrase  she  had  used  just 
as  anyone  would  wish  another  a  pleasant  jour- 
ney. But  she  continued : 

"What  a  lovely  time  we  had!  Eethyl  and  I 
were  sorry  you  had  to  leave  San  Francisco  so 
soon.  We  enjoyed  your  company  so  much." 
Tom  dwelt  over  these  lines  a  long  time.  It  was 
at  least  pleasing  to  receive  such  a  missive,  and 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  99 

he  carefully  folded  it  and  slipped  it  into  his  side 
pocket,  glancing  around  to  see  if  anyone  was 
looking  at  him. 

Tom  had  reached  Millville  from  San  Fran- 
cisco about  a  week  before,  and  at  once  reported 
to  the  manager  of  the  works.  It  seems  that  a 
large  deal  had  come  up  for  consideration 
in  Berlin,  Germany,  and  the  manager  felt  it  was 
imperative  for  him  to  return.  A  cable  was 
finally  sent,  and  the  matter  was  resting  for  a 
time,  so  that  a  few  days  later  Tom  arranged 
to  leave  again  and  went  to  Northington  to  spend 
another  week.  He  was  expecting,  however,  that 
he  would  be  obliged  to  go  abroad  inside  of  a 
month,  and  was  feeling  that  the  few  days  at 
home  would  be  more  than  ever  appreciated. 

As  these  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind, 
Charlie  Kingsley  came  along,  and  Tom  asked 
him  to  come  up  and  sit  down.  The  conversa- 
tion soon  branched  off  onto  electrical  matters, 
when  Kingsley  said,  "Do  you  remember  Tom, 
when  I  first  went  to  Greenvale  in  1906  the  me- 
tallic filament  lamp  was  just  becoming  commer- 
cial? What  a  radical  step  it  was  considered 
when  tantalum  was  suggested  at  two  watts  per 
candle  power,  but  I  '11  admit  I  didn  't  know  what 
to  do  at  Greenvale,  with  the  people,  about  the 
new  lamp.  Some  of  the  merchants  saw  them  in 
New  York  stores,  and  others  looked  them  up 
when  in  London,  so  I  was  forced  to  know  all 
about  them,  and  finally  to  secure  them  and 
handle  them  for  the  people.  Then  came  tlhe  new 
Tungsten  Incandescent  lamp  with  one  watt  per 
candle  power.  What  a  wonder  this  seemed  to  us ! 
In  1907  the  magazines  were  full  of  information 
about  Tungsten.  I  remember  Cassiers'  Maga- 
zine had  an  article  in  one  of  its  numbers  refer- 


100  LOOKING  FORWARD 

ring  to  the  wonderful  developments  in  incandes- 
cent lighting.  The  people  wanted  to  know  about 
such  a  radical  improvement  in  the  art  of  light- 
ing, but  of  course  now  that  they  are  so  common, 
the  year  1912  is  filled  with  many  other  interest- 
ing applications  which  interest  the  people.  A 
good  many  of  us  electrical  people,  however, 
wondered  a  great  deal  how  we  were  coming  out 
on  the  lighting  subject,  with  all  its  changes  in 
design  during  the  years  1906  and  1907.  How 
soon  we  forget  those  developments!  I  was  in 
New  York  last  week,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that 
the  evening  was  the  most  brilliant  one  I  had  ever 
spent  on  Broadway.  Electric  signs  everywhere 
advertising  the  merchants'  business.  Incandes- 
cent lights  in  millions  of  numbers  lighted  Broad- 
way as  I  had  never  before  seen  it.  Years  ago 
when  I  went  to  New  York  gas  lamps  were  used 
quite  freely,  but  now  the  wonderful  progress  of 
electric  lights  has  driven  every  other  form  of 
light  out  of  the  field. " 

"Yes,  it  is  very  interesting"  replied  Tom.  ''I 
expect  to  go  abroad  soon  on  a  deal  which  requires 
one-half  million  horse-power  of  electrical  ma- 
terial, covering  steam  turbines,  railway  ma- 
chinery, lighting, heating,  and  power  apparatus." 

"What  a  change  there  has  been,  Tom,  in  con- 
nection with  Hudson  River  boats  between  Al- 
bany and  New  York ;  also  the  boats  between  New 
York  and  Boston,  and  Cleveland  and  Detroit. 
How  crude  they  seemed  a  few  years  ago,  com- 
pared now  with  their  fine  large  rooms  with  baths ! 
Do  you  remember  how  stingy  they  used  to  be 
with  lights  in  the  staterooms?  The  Tungsten 
lamp  has  changed  that  feeling,  and  now  lisrht  is 
placed  in  a  room  for  brilliancy  in  general  illumi- 
nation and  for  convenience  and  actual  lighting 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE          101 

usefulness.  I  think  the  best  lighting  I  ever  saw 
before  the  Tungsten  lamp  became  general  was  in 
Canfield's  dining-room  at  Saratoga.  The  archi- 
tects adopted  the  method  of  concealed  lamps 
after  Tungsten  came  into  use,  and  arranged 
their  plans  accordingly.  Architectural  beauty 
in  designs  was  never  before  shown  to  such  ad- 
vantage, and  architects  all  over  the  world  stud- 
ied the  situation,  particularly  with  respect  to  the 
light  distribution  of  Tungsten  lamps." 

"Say  Charlie,"  said  Tom,  "pardon  me  for 
changing  the  subject  on  you  so  abruptly,  but  I 
am  going  to  ask  E  ethyl  and  Miss  Tyler  to  go 
down  to  the  Canoe  Club  for  the  day  next  Satur- 
day. Will  you  come  along  with  us?  I  believe 
they  return  from  the  West  tonight,  and  unless 
something  unusual  occurs  I  think  we  can  count 
on  going.  We  had  planned  the  trip  before  go- 
ing West,  but  did  not  take  it." 

1 '  Yes,  I  should  be  very  glad  indeed  to  go  with 
you.  How  do  you  go  down  ? ' ' 

' '  With  the  electric  touring  car, ' '  replied  Tom. 
"It  is  now  in  the  shop  for  a  few  days,  being  re- 
paired. I  had  not  had  it  gone  over  for  a  very 
long  period." 

"What  time  will  you  start?" 

"Oh,  we  ought  to  get  an  early  start,"  said 
Tom,  "leaving  here  about  seven  o'clock  or  half 
past.  It  is  very  refreshing  to  ride  early  in  the 
morning,  and  we  want  the  whole  day  there  for 
canoeing. 

Charlie  Kingsley  left  shortly,  and  was  walking 
down  toward  home,  when  he  saw  Frank  Sheldon 
on  ahead.  He  would  have  passed  him  but  Shel- 
don got  in  step  and  started  a  conversation  with 
him.  They  talked  about  automobiles,  and  nat- 
urally Charlie  mentioned  their  trip  and  the  car 


102  LOOKING  FORWARD 

being  in  the  repair  shop.  Sheldon  thought  quick- 
ly that  they  would  probably  take  the  old  Holly 
stage  road  and  down  the  long  hill  by  the  saw- 
mill. If  he  could  fix  the  brakes  on  the  machine 
so  as  to  disable  them  on  the  hill,  perhaps  Tom 
Appleton  would  not  win  after  all. 

He  abruptly  said  good  afternoon  to  Charlie, 
an!  started  for  the  repair  shop.  Having  had 
his  own  machine  there  often,  there  was  of  course 
no  suspicion  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  employees 
that  he  was  looking  at  the  catch  on  the 
back  \vindow,  the  location  of  the  machine,  and 
the  general  layout  of  the  place.  He  looked 
over  the  car  very  thoroughly  and  decided 
what  tools  he  would  want  for  the  job.  Before 
leaving  he  carelessly  made  a  few  remarks  to  the 
repair  man  about  the  design  of  the  car,  and  then 
left.  He  walked  briskly  over  to  a  hardware  store 
where  he  bought  a  couple  of  sizes  of  wrenches. 
Going  down  the  street  further,  he  purchased  a 
hard-steel  saw,  and  then  started  for  home.  En- 
tering his  room  after  reaching  the  hotel,  he  took 
frcrn  his  bag  a  bull's  eye  electric  lamp,  a  slouch 
hat  and  a  mask.  After  changing  his  coat  he 
placed  the  various  articles  in  his  pockets,  and 
then  sat  down  to  consider  what  else  was  neces- 
sary. 

A  bout  seven-thirty  he  was  through  dinner,  and 
went  down  to  the  billiard  room  for  an  hour.  He 
was  quite  nervous  and  felt  that  a  few  drinks 
would  soon  put  him  in  shape  to  do  the  job,  in  a 
clever  manner.  He  was  smart  enough  not  to 
drink  too  much  as  it  would  require  a  clear  head 
to  fix  those  breaks  so  as  to  keep  them  operative 
and  yet  injure  them  so  seriously  for  a  steep  hill 
as  to  make  them  of  no  value  whatever. 

About  half-past   ten  he  left  the  hotel,   and 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE          103 

started  for  the  repair  shop.  As  he  reached  the 
alley-way  a  policeman  was  standing  there.  This 
worried  him  some,  and  it  took  him  sometime  to 
get  up  courage  enough  to  pass  in  the  alley  and 
around  to  the  window.  Carefully  listening  for 
any  sound,  he  took  out  the  electric  lamp,  and 
quickly  pressing  the  button,  noticed  that  the 
window  lock  was  not  fastened.  He  therefore 
raised  the  sash,  and  quietly  passing  in,  let  it 
down  after  him.  All  at  once  he  jumped,  for 
there  in  front  was  a  policeman,  rattling  the 
doors  as  if  he  could  see  Sheldon  and  was  coming 
in.  He  did  not  do  so,  however,  and  soon  there 
was  silence  again  in  the  room,  and  he  was  alone 
with  the  electric  auto  which  was  to  give  Evelyn 
and  Tom  such  a  fright,  as  well  as  E ethyl  and 
Charlie  Kingsley. 

He  remained  there  until  three  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  being  careful  to  leave  everything 
as  it  was  when  he  entered,  except  the  auto,  he 
went  out  as  he  had  come  in.  All  was  quiet  on 
the  street,  and  Sheldon  passed  along,  down  to 
the  hotel  and  went  to  bed. 

The  next  day  the  machine  was  not  touched  at 
the  shop,  as  it  had  been  finished  and  was  ready 
for  Tom  to  take  it  out  Saturday  morning.  The 
repair  man  was  to  have  it  up  to  Tom's  place 
aLout  six-thirty,  and  as  the  roads  were  good 
around  there,  no  great  strain  would  be  placed 
on  th"  brakes,  until  they  reached  the  old  Holly 
Hill  road. 

Sheldon  did  not  rise  the  next  day  after  his 
night's  work  until  eleven  o'clock.  He  took 
lunch,  spent  a  quiet  afternoon,  and  that  night 
retired  early  with  instructions  to  be  called  at 
five-thirty,  and  to  have  his  machine  in  front  of 
the  hotel  at  six  o'clock. 


104  LOOKING  FORWARD 

The  next  morning  the  sun  came  up,  and  prom- 
ised to  offer  the  picnic  party  a  beautiful  day. 
About  six-forty-five,  Frank  Sheldon  in  his  ma- 
chine might  have  been  seen  riding  along  the  old 
stage  road  toward  the  Canoe  Club.  Passing  the 
bridge  over  the  old  Connecticut  he  failed  to 
notice  how  beautiful  was  the  scene  before 
him.  His  mind  was  entirely  wrapped  up 
in  the  scheme  which  was  to  be  put 
into  effect  within  the  hour.  He  speeded 
up  and  soon  reached  the  hill.  Here  the 
car  was  slowed  down  a  little,  and  as  the  descent 
was  started  the  brakes  were  so  very  essential  in 
order  to  secure  proper  control,  he  almost  lost  his 
nerve,  and  regretted  the  sneaking,  cowardly  act 
he  had  committed.  Again,  however,  he  pictured 
in  his  mind  Tom  and  Evelyn  probably  already 
started,  enjoying  the  ride  and  the  day,  and  the 
associations  of  each  with  the  other.  He  therefore 
made  up  his  mind  to  carry  out  the  plans  just  as 
previously  arranged,  and  half-way  down  the  hill 
he  selected  a  narrow  spot  in  the  road  where  he 
thought  no  driver  could  possibly  pass,  and  espe- 
cially one  who  will  probably  have  lost  control 
of  (his  car  by  the  time  he  reaches  that  part  of  the 
hill.  So  he  stopped,  got  out  of  the  machine,  and 
went  into  the  thick  underbrush  to  await  the  dis- 
aster, feeling  sure  his  excuse  would  be  a  plausi- 
ble one,  that  he  had  been  in  the  woods  but  a 
moment,  and  so  early  in  the  morning  did  not 
expect  any  cars  along  that  way.  He  was  willing 
to  have  his  car  smashed  to  pieces  for  the  sake  of 
carrying  out  his  mean  purpose. 

Just  about  this  time  Tom  and  his  party  had 
started  and  were  speeding  along  at  a  fairly  good 
rate.  The  girls  had  returned,  as  they  expected, 
from  the  West,  and  were  agreeably  surprised  to 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE          105 

find  Tom  at  home  again.  They  were  only  too 
glad  to  accept  his  invitation  to  go  on  the  pic- 
nic, and  were  ready  bright  and  early  to  start. 
Evelyn  was  about  to  get  in  behind  with  Eethyl 
when  Charlie  Kingsley  suggested  that  he  would 
like  to  sit  there  if  she  didn't  mind.  This  was 
quite  a  bold  stroke,  and  he  knew  at  the  time  that 
he  was  not  quite  well  enough  acquainted  with 
either  of  the  girls  to  speak  so  frankly,  but  Tom 
Appleton  was  the  pride  of  Charlie's  heart,  and 
he  would  take  big  chances  to  do  him  a  good  turn. 
So  he  changed  the  programme  at  once  and  as 
Tom  told  him  later,  he  could  have  embraced  him 
at  that  moment  for  his  thoughfulness.  Eethyl 
volunteered  the  information  to  Tom,  a  few 
months  later,  that  the  girls  too  were  pleased  at 
Charlie's  suggestion. 

They  had  just  come  onto  the  bridge,  and  all 
were  so  much  impressed  with  the  delightful  view 
before  them  that  Tom  stopped  the  machine,  and 
they  watched  the  scene  in  which  the  old  Con- 
necticut River,  the  Holly  Meadows,  and  the 
mountains  played  such  an  important  part. 

" There  at  the  bend  in  the  river,"  said  Tom, 
"is  where  we  shall  turn  in  our  canoes  a  little 
later  coming  up  stream.  It  is  a  beautiful  paddle 
and  the  morning  air  is  just  glorious  for  our  out- 
ing. I  feel  so  happy  that  I  cannot  refrain  from 
exhibiting  it." 

"I  am  awfully  glad,  Tom,"  said  Eethyl,  "you 
deserve  to  be  happy,  and  it  will  give  you  the 
nicest  kind  of  rest. 

The  machine  was  started  once  more,  and  oh, 
if  some  good  guardian  angel  would  now  appear 
and  tell  them  of  the  impending  danger!  It  was 
not  to  be  so,  and  they  passed  on  over  the  bridge, 
the  brow  of  the  hill  was  reached,  and  as  Tom 


106  LOOKING  FORWARD 

said,  later,  he  thought  that  surely  the  brakes 
must  be  in  fine  condition  with  the  machine  just 
out  of  the  shop.  He  noticed  instantly,  however, 
that  they  did  not  feel  right,  and  like  a  flash  of 
lightning  the  thought  came  over  him  that  one  of 
the  supreme  efforts  of  his  life  must  now  be  ex- 
erted. No  matter  which  brake  he  handled,  or 
how  hard  he  aplied  it,there  was  no  power  avail- 
able for  stopping  them,  or  for  even  decreasing 
their  speed.  It  was  a  runaway,  and  he  must 
safely  guide  them  down  that  hill,  regardless  of 
speed,  or  teams  or  anything  they  might  meet. 
He  clutched  the  steering  wheel  with  a  grip  of 
iron  and  in  a  clear,  firm  voice  requested  Evelyn 
and  the  others  to  hang  tight.  They  knew  only 
too  well  what  it  meant.  Something  was  wrong, 
because  Tom  had  more  judgment  than  to  drive 
like  that  down  hill,  and  especially  that  old  Holly 
Road  Hill.  But  look !  What  is  that  ahead  almost 
in  the  middle  of  the  road?  They  are  flying 
along  at  a  tremendous  speed.  Surely  no  human 
being  can  drive  past  that  obstacle,  and  Evelyn 
drew  nearer  to  Tom,  and  prayed  to  the  Lord  to 
protect  them  if  such  a  horrible  accident  must 
occur.  But  Tom  had  seen  the  obstacle  first,  and 
while  wondering  how  any  sane  man  could  be  so 
careless  as  to  leave  a  machine  in  the  roadway 
like  that,  yet  his  cool,  determination  to  carry 
them  safely  to  the  foot  of  the  hill,  come  what 
may,  gave  him  a  grip  of  steel.  His  mind  worked 
quickly  and  like  a  flash  he  drew  an  imaginary 
line  with  his  eye,  as  to  the  exact  spot  they  must 
pass  to  clear  the  other  auto,  yet  avoid 
being  ditched  on  the  other  side.  It  now 
seemed  an  age  before  they  would  reach 
that  vehicle;  but  his  plan  was  laid,  and  he 
had  time,  even  with  the  great  responsibility  be- 


clutched  the  steering  wheel  with  a  grip  of  iron  " 


THE  AUTOMOBILE  RIDE  107 

fore  him,  to  think  of  Evelyn,  and  he  prayed  that 
his  judgment  might  be  accurate,  and  that  the 
turf  on  the  roadside  might  be  strong.  Swish! 
Like  a  shot  they  passed  it,  and  from  Tom 's  lips 
there  came  to  Evelyn's  ears  the  words,  " Thank 
God ! ' '  The  danger  was  not  over  by  any  means, 
but  the  chances  were  so  good  compared  with 
what  they  had  just  met,  that  there  was  a  feeling 
of  relief  amongst  them  all  as  they  stated  later. 
It  was  a  long  hill,  and  before  they  stopped  the 
machine  was  a  long  ways  beyond  the  foot  of  the 
hill.  As  soon  as  the  car  came  to  a  standstill, 
Tom's  hands  dropped,  and  he  fell  over  the  steer- 
ing wheel  apparently  exhausted. 

It  was  some  time  before  any  of  them  regained 
sufficient  composure  to  speak,  and  then  they  each 
took  Tom  by  the  hand,  and,  with  tears  in  their 
eyes,  thanked  him  and  applauded  his  magnifi- 
cent nerve.  Eethyl  put  her  arms  around  his  neck 
and  kissed  him  over  and  over  again.  "It  was  a 
splendid,  splendid  exhibition  of  pluck,  Tom," 
she  said. 

They  went  ahead  to  an  old  farm-house,  and  ar- 
ranged to  have  the  machine  taken  back  to  the  re- 
pair shop  at  Northington  by  the  farmer,  Tom 
paying  him  well  for  his  trouble.  They  then  went 
on  down  to  the  Canoe  Club  with  a  hired  team, 
but  the  conversation  was  continually  reverting 
to  the  point  as  to  who  could  have  been  so  mean 
as  to  fix  the  brakes  and  then  attempt  to  ditch 
them  under  such  horrible  conditions. 

Tom  thought  of  one  person  who  would  do  it, 
and  that  evening  he  happened  to  run  across  Jack 
Montague  from  Millville.  He  was  the  man  who 
had  met  with  the  accident  on  the  lines  at  the  fac- 
tory, and  to  whom  Tom  had  been  exceedingly 
kind.  Tom  told  about  the  mean  trick  played  on 


108  LOOKING  FORWARD 

him,  when  Jack  said,  '  *  I  tell  you  it  was  Sheldon. 
I  saw  him  looking  over  your  machine  day  before 
yesterday  at  the  repair  shop ;  and  this  morning  I 
saw  him  drive  by  father's  house,  this  side  of  the 
hill,  and  then,  by  George,  he  came  back  again  in 
about  half  an  hour,  going  like  lightning." 

Tom  could  get  no  trace  of  Sheldon,  and  some 
time  later  it  was  understood  he  had  gone  abroad. 
They  all  contented  themselves  with  a  happy 
feeling  for  having  escaped  unhurt. 


CHAPTER 

THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA. 

About  a  week  later  Tom  received  a  telegram 
from  Manager  Hammond,  requesting  him  to  ar- 
range to  sail  for  Europe  within  the  next  ten 
days.  He  planned  to  take  Eethyl  with  him, 
and  as  the  Tyler  family  had  been  making  plans 
to  leave  soon,  they  decided  it  would  be  pleas- 
anter  to  go  in  a  party. 

Therefore,  on  a  Tuesday  morning,  ten  days 
later  they  were  in  New  York.  Everybody  was 
up  bright  and  early  packing  suit  cases,  and 
making  all  the  necessary  preparations  to  go  on 
board  the  steamship  by  two  o'clock.  Those  fami- 
liar with  the  last  few  hours  before  the  ship's  sail- 
ing will  appreciate  how  busy  they  were  on  that 
morning.  Evelyn  and  Eethyl  had  several  pur- 
chases to  make  on  23rd  Street,  and  Tom 
had  to  keep  a  short  appointment  at  the 
foot  of  Broadway,  as  well  as  go  over  to 
the  Cunard  Line  Office,  and  get  the  passage 
which  had  been  specially  reserved  for  them. 

They  all  took  lunch  down  town,  and  had  just 
enough  time  to  take  the  Subway  up  to  14th 
street  and  cross  over  to  the  Cunard  Docks,  arriv- 
ing there  as  the  clock  struck  two.  A  grand  sight 
met  their  eyes  as  before  them  the  new  liner,  Elec- 
trania,  lay  moored  at  the  dock  of  one  of  the  most 
prominent  steamship  lines  in  the  world.  For 

109 


110  LOOKING  FORWARD 

years  this  company  had  indicated  by  its  accom- 
plishments, the  aggressive  character  of  its  man- 
agement, and  now  the  grandest  achievement  of 
all,  the  steamship  Electrania,  was  about  to 
make  its  debut  before  the  world,  to  proclaim  its 
superiority  over  ships  which  had  cost  millions 
of  dollars  to  construct,  and  which  had  long  been 
considered  the  * '  Queens  of  the  Ocean. ' '  In  size 
it  was  the  largest  ship  ever  launched,  1,000  ft. 
long,  and  a  gross  tonnage  of  50,000,  having  a 
100ft.  beam,  and  accommodating  7,500  persons. 
They  passed  up  the  gang  plank,  and  had  soon 
located  their  luggage  in  staterooms  on  the  prom- 
enade deck.  After  securing  traveling  caps,  they 
sauntered  out  on  deck  to  watch  the  people,  some 
of  them  there  only  to  see  their  friends  started 
safely.  For  a  short  time  they  watched  the  elec- 
tric hoists  as  they  were  being  quickly  and  skil- 
fully manipulated,  while  trunks  and  bags 
by  the  dozens  were  raised  from  the  dock  to  the 
ship's  deck.  Absolutely  no  noise  was  made  by 
the  machinery,  and  the  manner  of  giving  orders 
and  the  handling  of  men,  indicated  a  system 
that  must  produce  confidence  in  the  minds'of  the 
passengers  crossing  the  Ocean,  at  least  those  who 
were  crossing  for  the  first  time.  The  luggage 
was  all  aboard,  the  order  given,  "All  ashore  who 
are  going  ashore, ' '  and  the  hand  shakes  and  fare- 
wells were  numerous  and  varied.  While  many 
friends  and  relatives,  were  wishing  a  pleasant 
voyage,  and  hoping  to  see  them  soon  again,  one 
old  lady  (a  steerage  passenger)  was  exhibiting  a 
great  degree  of  emotion  in  parting  from  her  son. 
She  had  evidently  come  over  from  Ireland  to 
pay  him  a  visit,  and  was  now  returning  home. 
Tom  could  imagine  the  few  weeks  of  happiness 
which  she  must  have  enjoyed  in  the  visit  to  her 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    111 

son,  and  grandchildren ;  the  tender  memories  of 
by-gone  days  which  had  again  been  stirred  up, 
and  now  at  this  parting  were  entirely  beyond 
control.  Perhaps  for  the  last  time  on  earth  she 
was  looking  into  -his  face,  and  with  such 
thoughts  in  her  mind  it  was  hard  to  say  good- 
bye. 

Tom  looked  over  at  Eethyl,  and  Evelyn  looked 
into  Tom's  face.  Evidently  the  same  thoughts 
were  passing  through  the  minds  of  each  of 
them.  As  Evelyn's  mother  and  father  came  up, 
she  called  their  attention  to  the  incident,  and 
said,  'I  am  glad  that  we  are  together,  and  have 
no  thoughts  of  parting,  and  I  wish  the  dear  old 
lady  below  could  say  as  much." 

"So  do  I,"  said  Eethyl,  thinking  at  the  same 
time,  that  she  would  be  gone  from  her 
home  but  a  short  time,  and  her  mother  had 
promised  not  to  be  lonesome  while  they  were 
away. 

The  decks  were  soon  cleared,  all  went  ashore 
who  were  going  ashore,  and  at  a  word,  the  gang 
planks  were  slid  into  place.  These  planks  were 
motor  operated,  and  Tom  noticed  with  interest, 
the  neatness  of  the  scheme.  It  was  only  one  of 
many  surprises  regarding  electrical  appliances 
which  this  new  ocean  liner  had  to  offer.  Elec- 
tric tug  boats  came  along-side  for  assisting  the 
large  steamship  out  of  the  harbor,  and  many 
favorable  comments  were  made  about  these  elec- 
tric tugs.  The  circulars  of  the  Cunard  Line  fully 
explained  how  much  attention  had  been  given 
during  the  past  few  years  to  the  subject  of  elec- 
tricity; how  in  1906  they  became  enthused  over 
the  possibilities  of  its  applications,  and  had  se- 
cured the  very  best  electrical  engineering  talent 
to  study  the  various  electrical  problems  in  con- 


112  LOOKING  FORWARD 

nection  with  ship  building  and  ship  life.  Having 
a  desire  to  be  foremost  in  all  new  ideas  they 
adopted  the  electric  tug  boat,  and  professed  to 
have  the  first  smokeless  boats  in  the  New  York 
harbor.  It  turned  out,  however,  to  be  a  good 
thing  for  the  Cunard  company  in  many  ways. 

The  tug  boats  were  built  for  electric  motor 
propulsion.  Knowing  that  the  large  ocean  liners 
had  plenty  of  power,  which  was  not  being  used 
while  the  tug  boats  were  assisting  them  out  of 
the  harbor,  the  engineers  found  that  it  was 
economical  to  supply  power  to  these  tug  boats 
without  much  extra  cost.  Therefore  all  the  Cun- 
ard Line  tug  boats  were  electric.  It  was  not  nec- 
essary for  them  to  carry  coal  on  board.  This 
gave  the  boat  a  much  neater  appearance;  in 
fact,  the  electric  tug  of  the  Cunard  company 
was  one  of  the  sights  of  New  York,  and  the  ma- 
chinery was  kept  in  the  same  ideal  condition  as 
the  dynamo  rooms  of  Kieth's  theatres,  where 
patrons  were  invited  to  visit  and  inspect  the 
electric  light,  heat  and  power  apparatus. 

Therefore,  on  this  eventful  sailing  day,  every- 
body watched  with  great  interest,  when  the  tugs 
came  alongside,  and  made  taut  to  the  greaft 
Electrania.  The  signal  was  given  for  making 
cable  connection,  and  electrically  the  tugs  were 
connected  with  the  ocean  liner,  so  that  power 
was  being  transmitted  from  the  large  steamship 
to  the  tugs,  and  without  smoke  or  dust  or  dirt, 
the  Electrania  was  electrically  "  tugged "  out  of 
the  New  York  harbor. 

At  the  bow  and  stern,  and  amidships,  electric 
music  from  the  Telharmonium  was  rendered  so 
that  the  audience  on  both  the  pier  and  the  boat 
were  favored  in  a  most  delightful  manner. 
Amidst  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs,  throwing 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    113 

of  caps,  and  with  cheers  from  both  the  piers  and 
the  decks,  the  steamer  passed  on  down  by  the 
Statue  of  Liberty,  with  its  great  electric  light, 
and  out  to  sea.  One  by  one  the  tug  boats  left, 
and  with  the  power  from  the  Edmund's  storage 
batteries,  they  were  soon  back  in  the  New  York 
harbor. 

The  girls  went  up  into  their  stateroom  to  dress 
for  dinner,  and  when  Tom  came  up  a  little  later 
he  was  much  pleased  to  see  the  conveniences 
about  the  stateroom.  The  engineers  had  cer- 
tainly studied  the  comfort  of  the  traveler,  for 
everywhere  there  was  some  evidence  of  luxury. 
Two  electric  lights  had  been  located  on  either 
side  of  the  mirror,  and  the  reflection  of  light 
from  the  glass  was  such  that  one  might  expect 
an  engineer  had  tried  the  light  before  passing 
upon  the  wiring  and  location  of  the  outlets.  Tom 
said  to  himself,  "What  a  small  matter  this  is, 
yet  it  is  exceedingly  convenient  to  have  plenty 
of  light  when  dressing. ' ' 

After  removing  his  coat  and  vest,  preparatory 
to  shaving,  he  noticed  particularly  a  small  side 
dish  for  heating  water,  and  here  also  was  a 
notice  inviting  the  passengers  to  turn  an  electric 
switch  for  securing  hot  water.  The  plan  seemed 
to  have  been  studied  by  some  engineer  who  had 
at  some  time  or  other  shaved  himself  and  appre- 
ciated the  convenience  of  securing  hot  water  by 
simply  turning  a  switch,  as  compared  with  ring- 
ing the  bell,  and  waiting  for  a  maid,  or  steward 
to  bring  it.  The  Cunard  company  had  placed 
itself  in  the  position  of  inviting  its  guests 
to  convenience  and  luxury,  and  all  that  was 
necessary  to  accomplish  this  was  the  installation 
of  a  slightly  larger  electrical  generator. 

Evelyn  and  Eethyl  had  adjoining  rooms,  and 


114  LOOKING  FORWARD 

while  they  were  dressing,  their  tongues  were 
wagging  just  as  fast  as  possible.  Eethyl  was  un- 
packing her  suit  case,  and  was  about  to  take  out 
the  traveling  iron  when  Evelyn  said  excitedly, 

"Eethyl,  do  come  in  here  a  moment,  I  think  it 
is  just  lovely  to  see  how  convenient  they  have 
arranged  things  for  the  ladies  in  these  state- 
rooms. Instead  of  seeing  a  printed  card  every- 
where reading,  "How  to  adjust  life-preservers," 
I  am  glad  to  see  that  notice,  "Ladies,  use  this 
receptacle  for  the  electric  iron/' 

They  went  back  to  Eethyl's  room,  and  found 
the  same  method  of  wiring  there,  and  the  same 
careful  attention  paid  to  convenience  for  travel- 
ers. 

"I  knew  we  would  be  pleased,"  said  Evelyn, 
"to  go  abroad  on  this  boat.  We  shall  see  many 
new  things  aboard  this  new  ship,  and  I  am  so 
happy  we  could  come  together." 

The  bugle  had  blown  for  dinner,  and  they 
hurried  up  their  dressing  so  as  not  to  be  very 
late. 

They  were  shortly  eating  in  the  luxurious  din- 
ing saloon  below,  and  were  particularly  im- 
pressed with  the  architectural  design  of  this 
room.  It  seemed  as  though  the  design  was  empha- 
sized and  beautified  by  the  artificial  light.  No 
lamps  whatever  were  visible;  the  eye  dwelt  at 
length  upon  the  decorative  ceilings  and  side 
walls  without  fatigue.  The  architectural  design 
of  the  artist  was  easily  interpreted,  and  nothing 
mechanical  or  electrical  was  visible.  It  was  par- 
ticularly restful  and  impressive,  compared  with 
the  usual  method  of  lighting  rooms ;  either  from 
the  ceiling  or  side  walls,  so  that  wherever  the  eye 
wandered,  it  mnst  at  all  times  be  confronted 
with  the  glare  of  light.  They  were  quickly  com- 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    115 

mencing  to  understand  why  this  boat  was  named 
the  "Electrania." 

The  girls  remained  in  the  ladies'  smoking 
room  for  a  short  time,  and  then  left  to  retire 
early,  while  Mr.  Tyler  and  Tom  went  to  the 
men's  lounging  room  to  enjoy  a  quiet  smoke, 
and  at  the  same  time  watch  the  progress  of  the 
pool  on  the  boat's  run.  It  was  becoming  very 
interesting  in  the  great  progress  in  design  of 
ocean  liners,  to  see  what  speeds  would  be  made, 
especially  on  their  first  trips,  so  tonight  was  one 
of  much  interest  to  many  of  the  passengers, 
particularly  those  possessing  a  slight  sporting 
inclination.  Some  argued  that  while  she 
evidently  had  powerful  turbines,  yet  at  the 
same  time  she  was  extremely  large  and  bulky, 
and  the  machinery  new.  Some  thought  even 
six  days  to  Liverpool  would  be  a  good  run. 
Other  enthusiastic  ones  felt  that  she  was  actually 
good  for  four  days  as  guaranteed  by  the  build- 
ers. Twenty  persons  entered  the  pool,  and 
finally  they  compromised  on  the  figures  of  680 
to  700  miles  for  the  first  day's  run,  but  when 
the  numbers  were  auctioned  off,  it  was  plain  to 
be  seen  that  the  low  field  was  the  more  popular. 
Tom  had  considerable  confidence  in  the  boat, 
and  made  up  his  mind  that  the  high  field  was 
the  better  choice.  However,  the  next  day  would 
reveal  the  character  of  'his  judgment. 

Finally  when  the  excitement  of  the  auction 
had  subsided,  Mr.  Tyler  commenced  to  talk  to 
Tom  about  his  work  at  Millville.  The  conversa- 
tion gradually  drifted  to  the  new  Hudson  River 
boats  running  between  Albany  and  New  York. 

"The  new  Fulton  which  was  put  in  com- 
mission early  in  1908  had  many  improvements 


116  LOOKING  FORWARD 

t 

compared  with  previous  boats.  In  fact,  it  was 
one  of  the  first  boats  of  its  kind  to  have  plenty 
of  private  baths,  and  hot  water  in  every  state- 
room. It  was  the  electric  water  heater  which 
caused  this  new  departure.  The  staterooms  are 
also  equipped  with  electric  heaters." 

"It  is  all  very  interesting,"  said  Mr.  Tyler. 
"I  am  ashamed  to  say  that  I  have  not  been  on 
such  boats,  but  Evelyn  has  kept  me  pretty  well 
posted.  I  expect  that  we  shall  see  many  new 
appliances  on  board  this  liner,  that  we  had  not 
heard  of  before,  even  though  we  are  in  the 
electrical  business.  I  was  very  well  pleased  with 
my  stateroom,  and  Mrs.  Tyler  thought  it  was 
especially  convenient.  I  have  not  been  abroad 
for  several  years,  and  I  must  confess  that  there 
has  been  a  great  improvement  in  the  traveling 
accommodations.  It  seems  to  me  that  the 
electrical  industry  has  been  responsible  for 
most  of  the  comforts  which  we  now  enjoy." 

With  this  statement  Mr.  Tyler  said  good-night, 
and  left  Tom  alone. 

Before  retiring,  he  desired  to  think  over  the 
past  few  months'  experiences  by  'himself,  and 
taking  another  cigar  from  his  pocket,  was 
pleased  to  find  that  this  room  had  been  particu- 
larly well  equipped  for  using  electric  cigar 
lighters.  The  engineers  had  actually  made  a 
great  success  in  respect  to  the  installation  of 
these  devices.  The  tables  in  the  smoking  room 
were  made  fast,  which  is  the  custom  on  ship- 
board, and  the  wiring  had  been  arranged  so  that 
there  was  a  cigar  lighter  suspended  under  each 
corner  of  the  table.  There  was  not  a  match  box 
to  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  room,  and  much 
favorable  comment  was  made  upon  the  very 
convenient  arrangement  of  these  devices.  In 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    117 

fact,  they  were  so  popular  that  those  who  had 
match  boxes  in  their  pockets  were  never  seen  to 
use  them,  on  account  of  the  ease  with  which 
they  could  reach  the  electric  lighters. 

While  electrical  devices  had  for  years  been 
uppermost  in  Tom's  thoughts,  tonight  he  was 
thinking  of  Evelyn.  Since  their  thrilling 
experience  in  connection  with  the  automobile 
ride,  no  opportunity  had  been  offered  him  to 
detect  any  sign  that  she  cared  anything  for  him. 
During  that  trying  experience,  and  shortly  after, 
Tom  thought  she  had  exhibited  much  feeling  for 
him,  but  he  finally  attributed  it  to  the  excite- 
ment to  which  she  had  been  subjected  in  connec- 
tion with  the  dangerous  ride.  After  all,  it  was 
no  matter  anyway  how  he  felt,  she  was  beyond 
his  reach,  for  a  great  many  reasons.  So  he 
finally  retired,  and  dreamed  that  a  twenty  thou- 
sand horse-power  steam  turbine  had  been  sent 
down  to  the  testing  department  for  test.  After 
a  great  deal  of  worry  and  trouble,  he  awoke  to 
find  that  the  only  effort  he  had  to  put  forth 
was  to  get  up  and  take  his  turn  at  a  salt  water 
bath,  in  response  to  the  steward's  call. 

The  next  day  passed  with  the  usual  points 
of  interest.  Those  who  were  not  reading  were 
up  on  deck  lounging  in  steamer  chairs,  or 
amusing  themselves  in  the  gymnasium.  This 
was  a  very  interesting  room  where  the  engineers 
had  introduced  interesting  applications  of  elec- 
tric motors.  There  were  several  devices,  shaped 
somewhat  like  wooden  horses,  which  were  de- 
signed to  move  in  a  manner  representing  the 
canter  or  gallop  of  a  horse.  They  could  be 
started  or  stopped  by  the  rider  by  simply  throw- 
ing a  switch,  and  the  speed  could  be  similarly 
controlled.  The  machine  could  be  adjusted  to 


118  LOOKING  FORWARD 

suit  the  rider,  and  this  method  of  exercise  was 
keenly  enjoyed.  In  fact,  the  horses  were  so 
popular  that  it  was  found  necessary  to  take 
turns,  especially  during  the  morning  hours. 

Another  popular  device  in  the  gymnasium 
was  the  motor  boat  in  which  one  could  secure 
the  exercise  of  the  same  muscles  as  when  rowing 
a  boat.  The  device  could  be  adjusted  for 
exercising  the  arms  only,  or  it  was  possible  of 
adjustment  so  as  to  move  both  the  arms  and 
legs.  The  speed  could  likewise  be  controlled 
easily  by  the  turn  of  a  handle  conveniently 
located. 

The  Tyler- Appleton  party  became  very  much 
interested  in  the  game  of  shuffle-board.  Evelyn 
and  Tom  played  against  E ethyl  and  Mr.  Tyler. 
As  one  of  the  sailors  was  chalking  out  the  lines, 
Evelyn  remarked  what  a  beautiful  morning  it 
was,  and  Tom  noticed  how  bright  and  happy 
she  looked.  It  seemed  to  him  that  he  'had  never 
seen  her  look  so  pretty  and  vivacious.  When 
the  lines  were  finished,  Eethyl  spoke  up,  and 
said, 

"Mr.  Tyler,  will  you  be  my  partner?'* 

"To  be  sure  I  will,"  he  replied,  "but  I  can- 
not  promise  to  be  especially  skillful. ' ' 

Evelyn  then  turned  to  Tom,  and  said 
bewitchingly,  "That  makes  it  compulsory  for 
us  to  play  together." 

They  were  down  at  the  other  end  of  the  lines, 
and  Tom  whispered  to  her,  "I  am  glad  of  it.  I 
shall  enjoy  playing  with  you." 

Neither  Eethyl  nor  Mr.  Tyler,  noticed  the 
color  which  came  to  Evelyn's  cheeks,  but  she 
had  been  waiting  to  catc'h  some  little  sign  that 
Tom  cared  for  her,  even  in  the  slightest  degree. 
He  had  seemed  to  be  so  distant  and  reserved 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    119 

when  in  her  presence,  heretofore,  and  now  this 
morning  she  could  detect  a  slight  change  in  his 
attitude. 

Tom  was  happy,  and  while  his  sister  and  Mr. 
Tyler  beat  them  the  best  two  out  of  three  games, 
he  enjoyed  it  immensely.  It  was  a  new 
experience  for  him  to  have  this  young  lady 
associated  so  closely  to  him,  to  have  those  beauti- 
ful black  eyes  penetrate  his  own,  so  often,  with 
meaning  glances.  He  began  to  say  to  himself, 
lookout  or  you  will  go  too  far  on  a  road  which 
you  have  no  business  to  travel. 

But  everybody  was  on  time  for  lunch,  with  an 
appetite  to  make  havoc  of  the  electrically  cooked 
food  in  the  dining-room.  During  the  meal 
attention  was  called  to  the  many  small  insulated 
pieces  on  the  table  about  one-quarter  the  size  of 
a  teacup.  These  were  electric  heating  plugs  for 
keeping  dishes  warm,  coffee  hot,  etc.  They  were 
located  likewise  in  all  the  stewards '  rooms  in  the 
place  of  steam  pipes.  The  engineers  found  upon 
investigation  that  electric  wiring  was  much  less 
expensive  than  steam  pipes,  and  with  the  large 
supply  of  electricity  to  which  they  had  long 
been  accustomed,  they  always  had  plenty  of  cur- 
rent and  heat.  The  stewards  were  particularly 
pleased  with  the  use  of  electric  heating  devices 
in  the  summer  time,  when  steam  pipes  were 
more  or  less  uncomfortable. 

Down  in  the  kitchen  the  electric  cooking  and 
baking  devices  were  of  remarkable  value.  The 
arrangement  was  so  much  cleaner  than  coal,  and 
so  much  more  comfortable  than  either  coal  or 
steam  that  the  cooks  did  better  work,  and  the 
meals  were  served  much  more  rapidly  than  ever 
before. 

The    Cunard  company    made  a  specialty    of 


120  LOOKING  FORWARD 

'having  plenty  of  fresh  air  in  all  parts  of  its 
boats.  They  made  free  use  of  electric  exhaust 
fans  which  were  built  to  keep  pure  fresh  air 
passing  continually  through  the  ship.  Their 
engineers  had  carefully  studied  the  subject  of 
daylight  distribution,  as  well  as  artificial  light- 
ing by  electricity,  throughout  the  steerage  rooms, 
and  the  first  and  second-class  cabins.  The  day- 
light reflected  its  healthful  rays,  and  good  cheer 
and  happiness  were  produced  alike  in  all  parts 
of  that  great  ocean  traveler. 

By  special  permission  from  the  chief  engineer, 
they  were  all  shown  into  the  turbine  room  where 
80,000  H.P.  was  operating  day  and  night 
throughout  the  trip.  They  were  shown  in 
operation,  some  of  the  sliding  doors  connecting 
different  apartments  for  the  purpose  of  insur- 
ing weatherproof  and  fireproof  sections  of  the 
boat.  These  doors  were  operated  by  electric 
motors  controlled  by  switches  in  the  captain's 
quarters.  The  ladies  were  interested  in  the  dish 
washers.  They  had  never  thought  before  how 
6,000  or  7,000  dishes  could  be  washed  three  times 
a  day,  and  the  easy  manner  in  which  this  work 
was  done  with  electric  dish-washers  impressed 
them  considerably. 

It  was  not  necessary  for  this  boat  to  carry 
any  ice  on  board.  It  saved  the  Cunard  Com- 
pany not  only  the  expense  of  purchasing  about 
100  tons  of  ice  for  each  trip,  but  economized  in 
the  labor  of  loading  at  the  dock.  A  new  scheme 
of  producing  cool  air  by  electric  motors  had 
been  carefully  studied  by  the  company's 
engineers,  and  was  successfully  used.  The 
refrigerators  in  different  parts  of  the  boat  were 
individually  piped,  and  operated  by  motors  as 
the  occasion  demanded. 


THE  STEAMSHIP  ELECTRANIA    121 

The  multiple  arrangement  of  these  refrigera- 
tors was  not  only  economical,  but  especially 
convenient  for  the  different  stewards'  rooms, 
effecting  great  promptness  in  serving  refresh- 
ments and  beverages,  as  well  as  offering  great 
convenience  for  these  different  departments. 

The  electric  elevators  were  commented  upon 
very  favorably.  There  were  four  for  passengers 
and  two  for  freight.  Not  only  did  they  offer 
convenience  and  ease  in  going  to  different  parts 
of  the  boat,  but  trunks  and  luggage  were  handled 
in  a  much  more  business-like  manner  than  ever 
before,  because  of  the  freight  elevators. 

During  one  of  the  evenings  a  Telharmonium 
Concert  furnished  entertainment  that  was 
exceedingly  enjoyable.  Printed  programs  were 
distributed,  with  a  notice  that  the  steerage  and 
second-class  passengers  were  able  to  listen  to 
the  same  music.  Muselectrans  were  installed  in 
all  three  concert  rooms,  notwithstanding  they 
were  located  in  different  parts  of  the  boat,  and 
all  the  passengers,  regardless  of  class,  were  able 
to  hear  the  concerts.  The  Cunard  engineers 
deserved  much  credit  for  having  arranged  the 
wiring  and  plans  to  accomplish  such  a  popular 
and  beneficial  scheme. 

By  Friday  afternoon,  when  three  days  out,  the 
Electrania  had  made  such  a  good  speed  record, 
that  it  was  well  known  they  would  reach  Queens- 
town  and  deliver  the  mail  by  midnight,  and 
would  arrive  in  Liverpool  Saturday  afternoon 
by  four  o'clock,  exactly  four  days  from  New 
York,  thus  making  the  banner  ocean  trip  to 
present  to  the  world. 

In  the  evening,  the  girls  were  seated  out  on 
deck  with  Tom,  Evelyn's  parents  had  said  good- 


122  LOOKING  FORWARD 

night,  and  E ethyl  finally  excused  herself,  stating 
that  she  had  to  write  a  few  letters. 

Evelyn  and  Tom  were  therefore  left  alone, 
just  as  the  moon  was  appearing  and  casting  its 
silvery  light  over  the  ocean's  waves. 

For  a  long  time  they  sat  silent,  and  finally 
Evelyn  broke  the  spell,  by  stating,  "Do  you 
know  I  have  heard  E  ethyl  speak  of  you  so  often 
as  Tom,  that  I  should  like  to  have  your  per- 
mission to  call  you  Tom." 

"I  have  felt  the  same  way,"  said  Tom, 
"Eethyl  has  mentioned  your  name  so  often  to 
me,  in  her  letters  and  conversation,  I  should  like 
to  call  you  Evelyn." 

"It  is  a  bargain,  then,"  she  said,  "but  there 
is  another  matter  I  want  to  mention  to  you  that 
you  may  not  be  able  to-  answer  so  readily.  Do 
you  know,  I  was  almost  provoked  that  you  did 
not  answer  my  letter  from  San  Francisco,  when 
I  sent  you  those  papers.  What  have  you  to  say 
for  yourself,  Mr.  Tom?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  said  Tom,  "I  received  the 
papers,  and  enjoyed  them  very  much.  It  was 
kind  of  you  to  send  them."  He  did  not  dare 
tell  her  why  he  had  not  written  to  her  in 
answer  to  her  note. 

They  talked  on  and  on,  keenly  enjoying  every 
minute,  until  E  ethyl,  having  written  her  letters, 
appeared  on  the  scene,  and  broke  the  spell. 
They  all  bade  each  other  good-night,  and  as 
Tom  turned  to  get  a  last  glimpse  of  Evelyn, 
before  entering  his  stateroom,  he  found  two 
beautiful  black  eyes,  and  a  hanpy  face,  looking 
straight  at  him.  And  as  Evelyn  Tyler  entered 
her  room  she  gave  Tom  a  smiie  and  a  wave  of 
the  hand  which  he  remembered  for  a  long  time 
after. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE. 

It  was  about  four  o'clock  on  Saturday  after- 
noon. They  were  up  on  deck,  their  luggage 
ready,  and  spending  their  time  in  watching  the 
great  Electrania  enter  the  Liverpool  Harbor. 
They  had  heard  of  the  great  Liverpool  dock, 
and  there  before  them  was  a  beautiful  spectacle. 
For  miles  and  miles,  up  and  down,  as  far  as  the 
vision  could  reach,  there  were  spacious  wharves, 
not  only  noted  for  the  extensive  facilities  which 
they  afforded,  but  likewise  for  the  remarkable 
cleanliness  exhibited.  They  could  now  appreciate 
why  this  dock  had  earned  such  a  reputation, 
and  it  seemed  to  them  as 'they  watched  the  tug 
boats  and  other  craft  passing  on  all  sides  that 
they  presented  a  very  fine  appearance. 

By  four-thirty  the  passengers  were  all 
landed,  and  were  an  the  station  awaiting 
examination  of  luggage,  and  trunks.  Here  in 
this  place  the  first  opportunity  was  offered  to 
see  how  rapidly  England  had  taken  up  the 
various  applications  of  electricity.  Instead  of 
the  old  coal  fire-places  so  common  in  1906,  elec- 
tric radiators  of  attractive  design  were  freely 
installed,  for  furnishing  the  small  amount  of 
heat  required  in  that  climate.  In  the  baggage- 
room  luggage  and  trunks  were  handled  by 


124  LOOKING  FORWARD 

electric  motor  cranes,  and  trucks,  and  Tom  was 
pleased  to  find  how  easily  and  quickly  he  was 
able  to  get  his  trunks  checked.  The  American 
system  had  been  adopted  by  all  roads  through- 
out England,  much  to  the  satisfaction  and 
pleasure  of  American  travelers,  at  least. 

It  was  necessary  to  cross  the  city  to  the  North- 
western Railway,  as  they  were  going  to  Rugvale 
for  a  few  days  before  visiting  London.  Tom 
called  two  electric  cabs  which  landed  them  at 
the  other  station  within  twenty  minutes.  Hav- 
ing secured  tickets  they  were  speeding  along 
rapidly  toward  Rugvale. 

All  the  trains  of  the  Northwestern  Railroad 
were  electric,  and  the  cars  were  beautifully 
furnished  (Pullman  type),  with  the  very  latest 
approved  devices.  They  were  electrically  heated 
and  lighted;  equipped  with  telegraph  and  tele- 
phone apparatus,  and  many  convenient  motor 
applications.  One  very  interesting  application 
was  in  connection  with  the  raising  and  lowering 
of  windows.  Travelers*in  general  will  remember 
the  tremendous  exertion  which  was  necessary 
with  the  old  arrangement  for  raising  a  Pullman 
car  window.  In  fact,  it  was  seldom  that  it  could 
be  raised  unless  the  porter  himself  was  rung  up 
and  requested  to  perform  the  operation.  The 
study  of  electric  applications  had  resulted  in 
the  design  of  a  very  small  motor  so  arranged 
mechanically  that  by  throwing  a  switch,  the 
window  could  be  moved  up  or  down.  When 
raised  up,  a  screen  was  raised  at  the  same  time, 
and  when  lowered,  the  screen  automatically 
went  down  out  of  sight.  The  people  not  only 
welcomed  this  convenient  arrangement  with 
much  pleasure,  but  the  porters  were  also  glad 
of  the  improvement.  They  claimed  the  old  way 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE  125 

required  a  good  deal  of  space  for  the  screens 
when  not  in  use;  many  were  broken  or  lost  out 
of  the  window,  and  in  general  the  new  scheme 
was  much  superior. 

The  compartment  accommodated  all  five  of 
them,  and  the  arrangement  was  quite  satis- 
factory. They  were  all  in  one  party,  and  the 
Tylers  had  enjoyed  the  company  of  Tom  and 
E ethyl  a  great  deal,  while  they  in  turn  were 
happy  in  the  company  of  Evelyn  and  her  father 
and  mother. 

The  conversation  had  drifted  back  to  the 
steamship,  where  they  had  spent  four  happy 
days,  and  Mr.  Tyler  was  saying, 

"I  believe  the  wireless  telegraph  system  in- 
terested me  as  much  as  anything  on  the  boat. 
Surely  that  is  a  wonderful  advance  in  the  art  of 
communication.  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  the 
story  related  by  Mr.  Worthington  regarding  the 
icebergs  their  party  met  on  a  trip  last  season 
from  Naples  to  New  York.  They  were  on  a  slow 
boat,  and  when  about  eight  days  out  they  sighted 
two  icebergs.  He  said  he  had  been  over  six- 
teen times  and  never  had  seen  one  before.  They 
were  within  ten  miles  of  each  other;  both 
moving  in  the  same  direction  with  the  boat. 
They  passed  one  not  more  than  a  mile  away, 
and  it  created  an  enormous  interest  on  board. 
Running  into  a  whale  and  cutting  it  in  halves, 
was  exciting,  but  did  not  compare  with  the 
magnificent  view  which  they  had  of  these 
gigantic  icebergs." 

"How  large  did  he  say  they  were?"  asked 
Eethyl. 

"The  one  nearest  to  them  he  said  was  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  and  stood  up  out 
of  the  water  one  hundred  and  forty  feet.  The 


126  LOOKING  FORWARD 

other  was  ten  miles  away,  and  did  not  look  as 
large  as  it  actually  was.  He  thought  it  was 
four  or  five  hundred  feet  long,  but  not  more 
than  sixty  feet  out  of  water.  The  temperature 
of  the  air  changed  from  sixty-five  degrees  down 
to  forty-five  within  an  hour,  and  everybody 
went  in  their  staterooms  for  heavy  wraps. 
Before  morning  they  were  in  a  dense  fog  which 
usually  follows  the  experience  of  sighting  ice- 
bergs." 

*  *  I  should  think  that  would  be  very  dangerous 
for  such  fast  boats  as  the  Electrania, ' '  said  Mrs. 
Tyler. 

"That  is  why  I  was  so  much  impressed  with 
the  wireless  telegraph  system,"  replied  Mr. 
Tyler.  "There  was  a  ship  ahead  of  them  some 
two  hundred  miles,  and  they  were  in  constant 
communication,  furnishing  information  as  to 
the  direction  and  course  of  the  icebergs,  where 
sighted,  their  size,  and  all  details.  You  can 
therefore  see  what  a  great  protection  the 
apparatus  becomes.  Every  ship  is  equipped 
with  powerful  instruments,  exceedingly  sensative 
to  impressions  from  the  aerial  spheres.  All 
through  the  night  or  in  a  fog,  these  electrical 
beacons  guard  the  precious  life  and  valuable 
property  on  board." 

"It  is  exceedingly  interesting,"  said  Tom, 
"when  you  stop  to  think  of  the  comparison  of 
the  wireless  with  the  old  style  pole-wire  system 
used  on  land.  The  wireless  is  not  confined  to 
any  direction,  nor  affected  by  the  winds,  nor  the 
storms,  nor  by  a  fog;  but  from  all  directions, 
with  the  wind  or  against  it,  rain  or  shine,  in 
clear  and  in  fogory  weather,  that  electrical 
receiver  is  on  the  alert,  ready  to  inform  the  cap- 
tain what  ship  is  ahead,  where  bound,  and  learn 
all  about  everything:  which  should  be  known  for 
the  safety  of  the  Company's  passengers." 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE   127 

"That  makes  me  think,"  said  Mr.  Tyler,  "I 
have  a  treat  for  you  all.  Perhaps  your  mother 
may  not  quite  enjoy  it,  but  you  young  folks  will 
be  pleased  to  know  that  Lord  Kelton  of  London 
has  extended  an  invitation  to  us  to  ride  over 
with  him  from  Rugvale  to  London  in  his  electric 
aeroplane. ' ' 

"Isn't  that  lovely!"  exclaimed  Evelyn. 

"Delightful,"  said  Eethyl,  "Will  you  be 
afraid  to  go  Tom?" 

"No,  indeed,"  replied  Tom,  "it  will  be  a 
rare  opportunity,  and  I  have  wished  for  a  long 
time  to  meet  Lord  Kelton." 

The  train  was  just  pulling  in  to  the  Rugvale 
station,  and  hasty  preparations  were  made  to 
get  out.  Carriages  were  taken  to  the  Continental 
Hotel  where  dinner  was  served.  After  dinner 
Tom  was  called  to  the  telephone,  and  was  glad 
to  hear  again  the  voice  of  his  old  friend  Phelps. 

He  said  he  would  come  right  over  with  his 
machine,  and  explain  their  plans  at  the  hotel. 
Not  more  than  twenty  minutes  after,  he  came 
into  the  hotel  parlor,  where  Tom  introduced  him 
to  the  entire  party. 

"Now,  make  yourselves  at  home,"  he  said,  in 
a  very  congenial  manner.  Phelps  always  had  a 
smile  on  his  face,  and  in  a  few  minutes  you 
felt  as  if  you  had  known  him  for  years. 

"Mrs.  Phelps  will  call  for  the  ladies  about 
ten  o'clock  to-morrow  morning,  and  Tom,  you 
and  Mr.  Tyler  can  come  down  to  the  works  and 
spend  the  day  with  me." 

This  plan  was  agreeable  to  all,  and  after  a 
short  talk,  Phelps  bade  them  £ood-ni<?ht.  They 
were  tired,  and  the  opportunity  to  retire  early 
met  with  favor. 

The  next  morning   the   men   started   for   the 


128  LOOKING  FORWARD 

works  in  Phelps'  electric  auto.  They  were  to 
lunch  down  there,  but  promised  the  ladies  that 
they  would  be  home  early  to  dinner. 

C.  W.  Phelps  had  long  been  connected  with 
the  electrical  industry.  About  1901  he  had 
come  over  from  America  to  take  charge  of  the 
Rugvale  factory,  fully  expecting  to  see  the 
Works  spring  up  and  flourish  in  a  few  years, 
but  little  dreaming  that  as  early  as  1912  there 
would  be  12,000  employees  on  the  factory  pay 
roll. 

On  the  way  down,  Phelps  said,  "Well,  Tom, 
I  am  glad  you  are  here,  it  will  do  me  good  to 
show  you  about  the  works.  We  are  doing  a 
tremendous  business,  and  some  times  I  wonder 
where  all  the  material  is  used.  It  was  about 
1906  that  we  commenced  our  big  boom  here. 
You  will  remember  how  the  papers  in  the  United 
States  aggressively  agitated  the  subject  about 
establishing  Commercial  Departments  among 
the  electrical  companies,  for  acquainting  the 
public  with  the  many  uses  of  electricity,  and 
how  the  Electrical  Cooperative  Improvement  As- 
sociation was  organized  with  its  aggressive  lead- 
ers continually  studying  the  ways  and  means  of 
promoting  the  commercial  end  of  the  electrical 
industry.  Well,  it  was  about  this  time  that  the 
electrical  companies  in  England  woke  up  with 
a  great  start.  They  not  only  became  exceedingly 
aggressive,  but  the  low  prices  prevailing  for 
electricity  in  England,  gave  them  great  advan- 
tage over  American  Companies.  I  was  so  much 
impressed  with  this  point,  that  I  had  hung  up 
in  my  office,  one  of  the  price  lists,  and  circulars 
which  were  printed  in  1906.  They  were 
advertising  to  the  public  freely  that  their  prices 
for  electricity  for  power  and  (heating  devices 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE  129 

were  remarkably  low.  These  prices  coupled  with 
a  very  aggressive  policy  for  pushing  the  sale  of 
current,  quickly,  showed  us  that  we  must  extend 
our  works  greatly,  and  with  the  utmost  dispatch. 
We  have  been  busy  doing  it  every  minute  since 
that  time." 

We  had  now  reached  the  office,  and  after 
spending  a  minute  with  two  or  three  men  who 
had  been  waiting  to  see  him,  Phelps  took  them 
out  into  the  works.  The  first  shops  entered 
were  the  steam  turbine  buildings,  and  it  was  a 
pretty  sight  to  one  keenly  interested  in  such 
work.  There  were  three  buildings  700  to  800 
feet  long  with  two  spacious  wide  bays,  and  a 
50  foot  center  bay.  Three  electric  cranes  were 
continually  busy  passing  up  and  down  with 
large  disc  frames,  and  other  large  parts.  Ten  or 
fifteen,  10,000  H.P.  turbines  were  in  process  of 
construction,  while  three  or  four  15,000  H.P. 
sizes  were  just  being  started  in  production. 
These  were  the  more  important  sizes,  although 
the  shops  were  filled  with  parts  for  producing 
all  the  smaller  sizes,  and  Phelps  explained  to 
them  that  the  Cortice  type  of  turbine  had 
secured  a  great  advantage  over  other  types  by 
reason  of  its  simplicity  of  construction,  small 
space  occupied,  and  the  most  excellent  results 
secured  from  those  installations  first  introduced. 
In  1905  and  1906  they  had  established  a  great 
reputation  for  the  Cortice  turbine.  As  the  elec- 
trical companies  were  so  exceedingly  busy,  it  was 
necessary  for  them  to  purchase  the  most  durable 
and  reliable  apparatus,  and  absolutely  avoid 
troubles  and  delays  due  to  faulty  design  or  poor 
material. 

The  next  factory  was  the  Incandescent  Lamp 
Works,  and  here  was  a  most  interesting  place. 


130  LOOKING  FORWARD 

As  we  entered  Phelps  said,  ''We  thought  we 
were  busy  in  1906  when  several  hundred  thou- 
sand lamps  per  day  were  being  completed  and 
shipped,  but  no  one  anticipated  the  tremendous 
increase  in  the  business  when  the  new  Tungsten 
incandescent  lamp  was  introduced.  The  people 
were  especially  pleased  with  the  improvement, 
because  their  houses  were  brilliantly  'lighted, 
with  a  great  many  more  small  unit  lamps,  at 
about  the  same  expense  as  before.  The  time  has 
passed  when  residence  customers  will  turn  off 
the  lights  when  going  from  one  room  to  another. 
The  cost  of  lighting  on  the  old  basis  made  it 
necessary,  but  now  they  will  not  do  it.  Houses 
are  brilliantly  illuminated,  from  early  evening 
until  bed  time,  and  the  people  are  thoroughly 
well  satisfied.  About  the  same  time  that  the 
new  lamp  was  introduced  to  the  public,  the 
special  study  of  illuminating  engineering  was 
very  effectually  undertaken.  The  contractors, 
handling  the  wiring  of  offices,  and  buildings, 
placed  the  subject  in  the  hands  of  a 
special  illuminating  engineer  who  made  it 
his  business  to  thoroughly  acquaint  the 
people,  the  architects,  and  the  business  men, 
with  the  new  ideas  on  illumination.  As  soon 
as  a  contractor  heard  that  plans  were  out  among 
house  builders  for  building  a  new  residence, 
blue  prints  and  various  wiring  schemes  were 
immediately  mailed  to  the  owner,  and  to  the 
architect.  The  local  newspapers  introduced  an 
electric  news  column  for  keeping  the  public 
posted  on  new  ideas  relating  to  electricity,  and 
monthly  magazines  which  did  not  have  an 
article  on  electrical  matters  on  some  of  its  pages 
soon  became  unpopular.  Gradually  the  public 
became  familiar  with  new  designs  in  lighting. 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE   131 

and  the  ladies  took  even  a  keener  interest  in 
electric  wiring,  the  location  of  lights,  and  the 
convenient  electrical  devices,  than  they  had 
shown  in  regard  to  wall  paper  and  furniture. 

In  fact,  it  became  necessary  to  consider 
decorations,  furniture,  and  electrical  devices 
together,  for  the  sake  of  harmony  in  design." 

''Therefore,"  Phelps  added,  "you  will  see 
why  the  incandescent  lamp  business  has  become 
such  a  factor  in  our  Works." 

We  then  entered  the  Motor  Department  which 
was  likewise  crowded  with  orders.  Sewing 
machine  motors,  dental  motors,  and  small 
industrial  motors  of  all  kinds  were  made  in  a 
separate  large  building.  Formerly  they  had 
been  produced  in  the  small  department  with  the 
larger  sizes.  "But,"  said  Phelps,  "the  motor 
business  took  a  big  spurt  with  the  other  current- 
consuming  devices  as  soon  as  the  electrical  com- 
panies commenced  to  make  public  the  many 
convenient  applications  of  motors,  and  show 
how  inexpensive  they  were  to  operate.  There 
was  a  tremendous  field  open  which  has  not  yet 
been  covered,  and  from  the  looks  of  our  order 
books  the  demand  is  still  increasing.  When 
erecting  our  new  buildings,  we  gave  very  great 
attention  to  the  use  of  motors,  and  you  will  note 
the  entire  absence  of  shafting,  and  the  beautiful 
distribution  of  daylight  in  all  the  rooms.  We 
believe  strongly  in  plenty  of  light,  and  good  air 
for  ourselves.  We  spend  more  than  half  our 
lives  here  in  these  shops.  By  having  good  light, 
our  eyes  are  better  equipped  to  do  the  work  for 
the  Company,  and  stronger  for  the  general  uses 
for  which  our  Creator  intended  them.  Good, 
pure  air  is  well  known  to  be  a  health 
preserver.  We  have  devices  here  for  keeping 


132  LOOKING  FORWARD 

cool  in  summer,  and  warm  in  winter.  Do  you 
remember  how  large  corporations  in  times  past 
have  furnished  large  recreation  rooms  for  their 
employees,  'hoping  to  lencourage  attendance 
during  the  winter  evenings?  Often  times  the 
managers  of  such  corporations  have  failed  to 
provide  light,  pure  air,  and  conveniences  for 
their  employees  during  those  best  hours  of  the 
day  when  maximum  work  is  expected?  Maxi- 
mum production  is  the  great  study  with  us 
these  days.  The  question  is,  how  to  get  the 
greatest  amount  of  work  per  individual,  and  for 
the  minimum  amount  of  space  and  machines. 
That  is,  "tools  must  be  sharp,"  or  production 
will  be  slow.  The  best  production  managers 
are  likewise  learning  that  high  grade  light,  pure 
air,  and  the  latest  ideas  in  motor  .applications 
are  essentials  which  place  America  in  the  front 
ranks  of  the  manufacturing  industry,  compared 
with  all  the  world.  In  past  years  I  have  known 
men  to  ruin  their  eyesight,  and  injure  their 
health  in  the  Copper  Bar  Department  of  some 
of  the  old  factories,  improperly  equipped,  but 
here  you  will  find  every  department  organized 
with  the  special  purpose  of  protecting  each 
employee  for  the  sake  of  maximum  production, 
as  well  as  a  general  regard  for  humanity. " 

From  the  Motor  Department  we  passed  to  the 
Arc  Lighting  Department,  and  two  very  large 
buildings  were  required  for  this  branch  of  the 
business.  Regarding  this  work  Phelps  explained 
as  follows: 

"Strange  to  say,  the  entire  arc  lighting  work 
was  revolutionized  about  the  same  time  as  the 
new  incandescent  lamp  was  introduced.  Smaller 
units  and  more  light  were  demanded  by  electrical 
companies.  The  merchants  in  England  were 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE  133 

very  quick  to  learn  of  the  great  results  secured 
by  the  merchants  in  America  about  the  year 
1906.  Illuminating  engineering  was  much 
emphasized  by  a  formal  association  of  the  lead- 
ing illuminating  engineers  at  New  York,  result- 
ing in  the  organization  of  an  Illuminating 
Engineering  Society.  From  that  date,  the  utmost 
importance  was  attached  to  illuminating  mat- 
ters; in  fact,  we  set  the  pace  here  at  Rugvale 
by  having  an  illuminating  engineer  devote 
several  months  close  attention  to  the  proper 
lighting  of  our  buildings.  When  given  this  duty 
to  perform,  he  was  instructed  to  consult  the 
foreman  of  each  room,  .who  was  familiar  in  detail 
with  the  production  requirements,  and  the 
desires  of  the  employees;  likewise  to  confer 
with  the  production  manager  as  regards  artificial 
light,  compared  with  daylight.  As  a  result  on 
dark,  cloudy  days,  or  during  the  over-time  work, 
the  foremen  can  count  on  maximum  production 
as  far  as  light  is  concerned. 

"You  will  see  what  a  grand  evolution  was 
experienced  in  these  branches  of  the  industry. 
The  Research  Laboratories  not  only  produced 
clever  inventions,  resulting  in  great  operating 
economies,  but  in  addition,  a  great  Publicity 
Bureau  was  simultaneously  organized,  with  the 
hearty  support  of  the  electrical  manufacturers, 
contractors,  supply  dealers,  architects,  and 
builders.  It  was  the  greatest  movement  of  the 
times,  and  stamped  the  years  1906  and  1907  as 
the  beginning  of  a  marvelously  progressive  era 
in  the  electrical  industry.  It  is  not  necessary 
to  stop  and  think  why  the  merchants  and  manu- 
facturers in  general  were  in  sympathy  with  the 
movement.  They  saw  at  a  glance  that  the 
electrical  industry  was  being  revolutionized,  and 


134  LOOKING  FORWARD 

were  thankful  that  such  a  magnificent  co- 
operative organization  had  been  created  to 
intelligently  handle  all  phases  of  the  subject; 
an  organization  determined  to  study  in  detail, 
all  the  various  classes  of  mercantile  business, 
industrial  demands,  residential  requirements, 
and  then  scientifically,  practically,  and  accurate- 
ly prescribe  the  electrical  devices  best  suited 
for  the  many  particular  uses.  The  organization 
simply  represented  the  electrical  companies,  and 
not  only  studied  the  subjects  as  I  have  related 
above,  but  were  quick  to  inform  the  people 
regarding  such  applications." 

It  was  now  about  one  o'clock  and  Phelps  took 
them  over  to  the  works  restaurant  to  lunch. 
After  placing  their  order,  Mr.  Tyler  said. 

"Mr.  Phelps,  I  want  to  empasize  your  point 
in  regard  to  the  merchants.  I  remember  dis- 
tinctly the  efforts  exerted  by  John  Merrymaker 
in  New  York  City  in  the  year  1906  to  cooperate 
with  the  elecrical  industry  in  a  grand  attempt 
to  acquaint  the  people  more  fully  about  electri- 
cal devices.  In  October,  of  that  year  he  set 
apart  a  large  space  in  his  store  which  was  di- 
vided into  sections  representing  rooms  in  a  resi- 
dence. Then  all  kinds  of  electric  household  uten- 
sils were  skillfully  exhibited.  The  kitchen  had 
its  electric  stove;  the  dining-room  its  chafing 
dish,  the  bath-room  its  radiator,  etc.  There 
can  be  no  question  but  what  John  Merrymaker 
did  this  missionary  work  because  he  took  pride 
in  new  developments.  He  wanted  the  people  to 
know  his  policy.  He  wished  them  to  feel  that 
they  could  always  come  to  that  store  and  find 
new  things,  even  though  he  lost  money  in  the 
venture.  There  was  surely  no  profit  in  the 
business  during  those  days.  In  the  States,  John 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE   135 

Merrymaker  was  the  representative  merchant, 
who  exhibited  the  most  aggressiveness  in  the 
dissemination  of  ideas  and  information  to  the 
people  regarding  electricity.  In  connection  with 
the  campaign  I  mentioned  he  distributed  free 
ten  thousand  pamphlets  describing  and  illustrat- 
ing electricity  in  the  home." 

"I  have  an  illustration  in  mind,"  said  Tom, 
"that  shows  the  cooperative  manner  in  which  a 
prominent  author  helped  to  acquaint  the  people 
with  electrical  devices.  Mr.  George  Lyles  of 
New  York  City  published  a  book  in  1906  en- 
titled, '  *  The  Inventors. ' '  In  that  book  he  devoted 
several  pages  to  the  subject  of  heating  by  elec- 
tricity, making  references  to  the  progress  along 
that  line.  The  space  which  he  devoted  to  electri- 
cal matters  in  that  book,  was  indicative  of  the 
desire  on  the  part  of  representative  men  to  co- 
operate with  the  electrical  fraternity  and  pro- 
mote electrical  applications.  This  year  1912 
may  be  called  a  mile-stone,  recording  the  phe- 
nomenal progress  of  electricity. 

After  lunch  they  visited  the  Heating  Device 
Department,  one  of  the  newest  branches  of 
this  large  corporation's  business,  yet  hav- 
ing grown  in  a  few  years  to  represent 
a  considerable  portion  of  its  total  sales. 
It  was  surely  the  most  interesting  de- 
partment of  all.  Of  course,  it  was  well 
known  that  electric  light  had  replaced  gas 
for  all  kinds  of  illuminating  requirements, 
but  the  death-knell  had  likewise  sounded  for  gas 
in  respect  to  heating  operations.  Electric  glue 
pots,  electric  soldering  irons,  electric  furnaces, 
water  boilers,  radiators,  and  heating  devices  of 
all  kinds  were  in  evidence  not  only  in  the  Heat- 
ing Department  buildings,  but  Phelps  said  there 


136  LOOKING  FORWARD 

was  not  a  foot  of  gas  used  in  all  the  entire 
works.  Electric  heat  was  used  in  the  ovens  for 
drying  the  transformer  coils,  for  sealing 
incandescent  lamps,  and  for  'all  kinds  of  work 
where  heat  applications  were  necessary. 

At  first  it  was  thought  that  gas  was  so  cheap 
that  electricity  could  not  compete  with  it,  but 
a  special  heating  engineer  was  commissioned  to 
study  the  subject  with  great  care.  He  did 
nothing  else,  and  soon  found  that  as  electricity 
was  being  used  in  such  vast  quantities  for 
operating  motors,  fans,  testing  department,  arc 
lamps,  and  incandescent  lamps,  it  could  be  more 
economically  used  than  gas,  which  was  required 
for  heat  only. 

Phelps  continued,  "We  are  producing  10,000 
electric  flat  irons  per  week,  and  yet  we  are  behind 
our  orders.  More  than  1,000  men  and  girls  are 
employed  in  this  department.  We  have  been 
running  night  and  day  for  nearly  a  year,  and 
must  extend  our  facilities  quickly  or  else  injure 
our  business  in  this  line.  I  am  looking  forward 
with  much  pleasure  to  show  you  my  house  this 
evening.  Rugvale  was  one  of  the  first  cities  to 
illustrate  the  use  of  electric  household  utensils, 
and  it  was  not  long  before  they  became  exceed- 
ingly important  to  all  of  us ;  but  we  will  talk  of 
that  later." 

The  heating  device  buildings  were  so  interest- 
ing they  spent  more  time  there  than  they  had 
thought. 

As  it  was  getting  late,  Phelps  said,  "We  had 
better  go  over  to  the  office,  and  sign  up  the  mail, 
preparatory  to  going  home  early,  or  the  ladies 
will  get  after  us  for  not  keeping  our  promise." 
On  the  way  over  Tom  asked  what  effect  such 
great  increases  in  the  business  of  current-con- 


ELECTRICAL  WORKS  RUGVALE  137 

suming  devices  had  upon  the  other  branches 
of  electrical  supplies,  and  apparatus. 

"Well,"  Phelps  replied,,  "it  is  natural  to 
understand  that  such  great  increases  result  in 
the  increased  demands  for  transformers,  meters, 
and  wiring  devices;  in  fact,  the  wiring  device 
business  was  greatly  boomed,  as  wiring  device  en- 
gineering became  as  popular  as  illuminating  engi- 
neering had  been.  This  company  had  a  specialist 
continually  following  the  subject  with  the  view  of 
simplifying,  and  standardizing  as  much  as  pos- 
sible. When  visiting  this  department  you  will 
find  a  very  busy  place.  The  consultation  rooms 
are  filled  from  morning  until  night  with  com- 
mittees considering  new  ideas,  approving  blue 
prints,  or  discussing  new  plans  having  to  do  with 
some  large  building  soon  to  be  erected,  and 
wired  in  the  latest  style,  following  the  best  wir- 
ing device  engineering." 

And  so  the  afternoon  in  the  factory  was 
passed.  Tom  and  Mr.  Tyler  felt  that  surely 
this  great  corporation  had  been  no  small  factor 
in  the  great  electrical  era,  about  which  so  much 
had  been  said  and  done.  Phelps  quickly  looked 
over  his  letters,  the  electrical  carriage  was  at 
the  door,  and  they  were  soon  driven  to  the 
"Manager's  House,"  as  the  Phelps  residence 
had  been  styled  by  the  factory  employees. 


CHAPTER  X. 

EVENING   IN   ENGLISH   HOME. 

They  were  seated  at  the  dining-room  table 
when  E ethyl  turned  to  Tom  and  said : 

"Oh!  I  wish  you  could  have  been  with  us  on 
the  drive  this  afternoon.  It  was  simply  delight- 
ful. The  roads  are  beautiful,  and  with  the  auto- 
mobile we  were  able  to  go  a  great  distance,  and 
see  a  great  deal  in  a  short  time.  Rugvale  is  a 
charming  spot." 

"I  am  awfully  sorry,"  Tom  replied,  "but  I 
think  we  shall  have  to  leave  for  London  tomor- 
row morning,  and  I  am  afraid  I  could  not  spare 
the  time  to  look  around  here.  What  is  the 
population  of  Rugvale?"  turning  to  Phelps. 

"It  is  now  about  35,000.  The  last  census 
showed  that  during  the  past  ten  years  its 
increase  in  population  has  been  proportionately 
the  greatest  of  any  city  in  England.  Of  course, 
the  large  extension  in  the  works  has  caused  the 
phenomenal  increase.  Every  married  man 
newly  employed  at  the  works  brought  from 
three  to  five  people  into  the  city.  As  most  of 
the  natives  were  already  employed,  the  greatest 
numbers  of  the  new  men  came  from  some  other 
city." 

They  were  soon  through  dinner  and  seated  in 
the  den,  where  cigars  and  small  coffee  were 
served. 

138 


EVENING  IN  ENGLISH  HOME      139 

The  conversation  naturally  drifted  to  the 
subject  of  house  building.  Mrs.  Phelps  said,  "I 
am  pleased  to  know  that  you  are  interested  in 
new  houses.  We  enjoyed  every  minute  while 
this  house  was  being  built." 

"Yes,"  Phelps  joined  in,  "it  is  a  lot  of  fun. 
My  wife  arranged  most  of  it  except  the  electrical 
end,  and  come  to  think  of  it,  she  arranged  most 
of  that." 

"Why  shouldn't  I,"  she  replied,  "I  spend 
more  time  at  home  than  you  do.  The  women 
folks  are  responsible  for  the  kitchen,  and  as  the 
kitchen  stove  is  now  electrical  we  ought  to  know 
all  about  it.  I  am  so  glad  we  gave  up  our  old 
coal  stove  and  gas  range.  They  were  nuisances. 
The  last  year  we  had  our  coal  stove  I  thought 
the  cook  would  go  crazy.  Either  the  draft  was 
not  good,  or  the  chimney  needed  cleaning,  or 
the  grate  was  broken.  There  was  always  some- 
thing needed  repairing  on  that  old  stove.  The 
gas  stove,  however,  was  worse.  One  day  it 
frightened  us  so!  I  was  out  at  the  time,  but 
the  cook  told  me  she  was  nearly  killed.  It  seems 
that  she  tried  to  light  the  oven  burners,  and  as 
she  explained  it,  the  door  blew  off,  knocked  her 
over  on  the  floor,  and  smashed  the  whole  lower 
sash  of  the  kitchen  window.  She  vowed  she 
would  never  use  that  gas  stove  again,  and  I 
guess  she  never  did.  She  enjoys  the  electric 
stove  very  much  indeed." 

Phelps  joined  in  here  in  an  enthusiastic 
manner. 

"She  is  a  girl  who  loves  cleanliness,  and  the 
electric  outfit  is  certainly  perfect  in  this  respect. 
Then  all  girls  like  the  idea  of  doing  things 
quickly.  The  fire  in  the  old  stove  was  always 
getting  low.  The  cook  says  she  was  either 


140  LOOKING  FORWARD 

going  down  cellar  after  kindlings  or  waiting  for 
the  fire  to  '  come  up '  most  of  the  time. ' ' 

Then  Mrs.  Phelps  explained  further  to  them, 
in  a  very  enthusiastic  manner,  which  made 
Evelyn  and  Eethyl  think  that  surely  the  entire 
world  was  wrapped  up  in  the  subject  of  home 
conveniences. 

"The  second  girl  is  much  pleased,  however, 
over  the  electric  air  heaters  and  radiators.  She 
says  they  are  just  lovely,  and  so  say  we  all. 
When  you  think  about  the  old  coal  fire-places, 
it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  we  tolerated 
them  as  long  as  we  did." 

"In  the  first  place,  all  the  heat  went  up  the 
chimney.  I  thought  I  would  die,  the  first  year 
we  were  here.  There  was  no  heating  system  in 
the  house  and  we  had  been  living  for  years  in 
Chicago  where  the  houses  are  splendidly  heated. 
We  could  never  get  accustomed  to  the  fire-places 
here.  Of  course  the  climate  is  mild,  but  many 
days  during  the  year  we  -are  uncomfortable 
without  a  fire.  Then  the  care  of  them  was  a 
great  nuisance.  They  also-  made  an  awful 
amount  of  dirt  and  dust.  Ate  far  as  expense  is 
concerned,  I  think  the  old  fire-places  are  a  good 
deal  more  expensive  than  the  people  realize. 
It  was  necessary  to  keep  coal  on  the  fire  con- 
tinually. We  were  always  buying  coal,  and 
never  could  keep  warm. 

* '  But  the  new  electric  heaters  are  ideal.  How 
much  we  have  enjoyed  them !  None  of  the  heat 
goes  up  a  chimney.  All  the  heat  given  off 
by  the  heater  is  pure  air,  and  there  are  no  gases 
to  be  taken  away.  There  is  no  need  for  a 
chimney,  and  therefore  all  the  heat  generated 
is  utilized  and  saved.  This  effects  great  economy, 
which  is  not  appreciated  until  the  electric 


EVENING  IN  ENGLISH  HOME     141 

heaters  are  used.  We  have  two  kinds,  the 
luminous  radiators  for  very  mild  wsather  and 
quick  heat,  and  the  air  heaters  when  we  really 
desire  to  warm  up  the  entire  room. 

11  Another  feature  greatly  in  favor  of  the 
electric  heaters,  is  particularly  emphasized  in 
the  construction  of  a  new  house.  A  fire-place  in 
every  room  required  a  good  many  chimneys,  and 
they  were  expensive  to  build,  especially  when 
accommodating  their  designs  to  room  decora- 
tions. 

"The  electric  heating  system  saves  this 
expense  likewise.  Oh!  there  is  no  use  making 
comparisons.  The  old  system  is  not  worthy  of 
it.  I  hope  I  shall  never  see  another  fire-place 
as  long  as  I  live." 

"You  must  go  and  inspect  Mrs.  Phelps* 
refrigerator  room  and  store  room, ' '  said  Evelyn. 
"You  know  they  are  on  the  same  floor,  off  the 
kitchen.  There  is  no  cellar  under  the  house. 
Simply  the  space  for  ventilation,  with  windows 
for  circulation  of  fresh  air." 

"Yes,  we  saved  considerable  by  omitting  the 
cellar,"  said  Phelps.  "And  there  is  really  no 
reason  for  having  one.  The  contract  for 
masonry  and  plastering  was  surprisingly  low. 
We  have  a  splendid  large  laundry  off  the 
kitchen,  and  side  of  that  is  the  refrigerator  room, 
made  large  for  cold  storage  purposes  also.  We 
make  the  cold  air  for  this  room  by  means  of  an 
electric  motor,  and  we  can  adjust  the  tempera- 
ture as  we  like,  in  accordance  with  the  outside 
temperature.  Then  next  the  refrigerator  room 
is  the  storeroom. 

"You  will  see  that  we  have  plenty  of  room, 
and  the  rooms  are  conveniently  located.  The 
omission  of  chimneys  and  cellar  saved  me  more 


142  LOOKING  FORWARD 

than  enough  money  to  pay  for  the  electric  stove 
and  air  heaters,  and  all  the  lighting,  heating 
and  power  devices  used  in  my  workshop,  which 
I  think  is  worth  knowing.  I  am  well  satisfied 
that  we  did  not  put  in  a  steam  heating  system. 
It  would  have  cost  me  $1,000,  and  my  experience 
during  the  past  fifteen  months  leads  me  to  feel 
well  pleased  with  the  electric  heating  system. 

"We  made  another  saving  which  is  very 
interesting.  It  is  in  the  right  line  also,  which 
I  was  not  sure  about  when  first  I  investigated 
the  matter.  We  have  no  hot  water  tank,  and 
only  one  pipe  for  both  hot  and  cold  water, 
instead  of  two  pipes.  The  electric  continuous 
flow  water  heaters  have  proven  to  be  very  valu- 
able. We  have  one  installed  over  the  kitchen 
sink,  another  in  the  girls'  bath  room,  a  third  in 
the  bath  room  on  the  second  floor,  one  connected 
to  the  bath  tub,  and  one  in  the  laundry.  We 
can  get  warm  water  in  forty  seconds,  and  hot 
water  in  a  minute.  The  expense  for  operation 
is  very  slight,  due  to  the  intermittent  use  of 
electricity.  The  faucets  are  two-way  type.  One 
way  turns  on  cold,  and  the  other  way  hot  water. 
It  is  much  better  than  the  old  system  where  a 
30  gallon  tank  had  to  be  heated  and  frequently 
only  two  or  three  gallons  were  used  during  the 
entire  morning  and  afternoon.  It  was  a  very 
wasteful  system.  The  electric  water  heaters 
have  proven  economical  and  very  satisfactory." 

"Dear,  won't  you  kindly  hand  me  the  music 
programme?"  said  Phelps  to  his  wife.  "I  met 
Jones  of  the  Local  Electric  Company  yesterday, 
and  he  told  me  to  be  on  the  lookout  tonight 
for  some  specially  fine  music,  and  I  told  him  I 
was  glad  of  it,  as  we  were  to  have  some  people 
with  us  from  America." 


EVENING  IN  ENGLISH   HOME     143 

' '  Here  it  is !  The  *  Storm  in  the  Alpine  Moun- 
tains'  at  9  o'clock,  a  selection  composed 
especially  for  the  great  organ  in  the  Cathedral, 
at  Luzerne,  Switzerland.  It  is  just  nine  by  my 
watch,  and  you'd  better  turn  the  music  switch! 

As  they  listened,  the  very  faintest  rumbling 
could  be  heard  as  from  a  great  distance,  and 
Phelps  whispered,  ' '  Jones  told  me  the  piece  was 
representative  of  -a  thunder  storm  in  the  Alps. ' ' 
Then  the  softest  sweetest  strains  came  forth 
representing  the  calm  before  the  storm.  The 
thunder  sounded  nearer  and  louder,  then  a  sharp 
lightning  flash  so  cleverly  presented  as  to  make 
one  glad  to  be  under  shelter.  The  rain  could  be 
heard  coming  down  in  torrents,  and  the  wind 
whistled  and  howled  so  that  you  could  imagine 
the  whole  mountainous  region  thoroughly 
angered  and  wreaking  forth  its  vengeance 
through  the  thunderings,  lightning  flashes,  and 
swaying  and  groaning  of  the  trees. 

When  the  selection  was  finished  Phelps  said 
he  thought  that  it  was  a  splendid  illustration  of 
the  accuracy  of  reproductions  by  the  Telhar- 
monium.  He  had  heard  the  large  organ  at 
Luzerne,  and  considered  that  the  electric  music 
was  fully  as  well  rendered. 

' 'How  is  the  Telharmonium  progressing  over 
here,"  asked  Mrs.  Tyler. 

"In  a  surprising  manner,"  said  Phelps. 
1 1  There  is  hardly  a  city  or  town  now  which  has 
not  installed  'a  system,  and  the  people  are  com- 
ing to  believe  that  they  cannot  get  along  with- 
out it  any  more  than  the  telephone  or  the 
electric  lights.  I  do  not  think  we  ever  notice 
the  difference  in  our  monthly  bills,  and  I  am 
sure  we  would  not  wish  to  give  it  up  now." 

"But  won't  you  tell  them  about  the  Rugvale 


144  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Realty  Company,  Mr.  Phelps?"  said  Evelyn. 
"I  am  sure  it  will  interest  them." 

"Well,"  said  Phelps,  "the  British  Dobson- 
Housman  Company  purchased  a  very  desirable 
tract  of  land  some  four  years  ago,  covering 
about  100  acres.  The  Realty  Company  was 
organized,  and  -a  manager  placed  on  the  property 
to  develop  it  quickly.  Good  roads  were  laid  out, 
underground  electric  mains  located,  electric  car 
tracks  laid,  side-walks  and  grass  plots  established, 
and  lots  were  divided  up,  varying  in  size  any- 
where from  75  x!70  to  300  £300.  It  required 
about  a  year  before  the  first  section  was  ready 
and  soon  the  lots  were  selling  in  good  shape.  I 
was  one  of  the  first  to  purchase,  and  am  quite 
well  satisfied  with  the  location.  The  lots  were 
exceedingly  reasonable  in  price.  Certain  restric- 
tions were  placed  upon  the  cost  of  the  house, 
and  its  nearness  to  the  street  front.  As  a  result 
splendid  houses  have  been  built,  making  a 
section  of  the  suburb  which  is  considered  the 
most  desirable  in  the  city. 

"We  started  to  build  our  house  the  year  after 
the  great  San  Francisco  earthquake,  when  so 
much  was  being  said  about  building  construction 
and  the  proper  wiring  plans  for  electric  devices. 
We  all  made  up  our  minds,  therefore,  that 
Rugvale  should  be  the  first  city  in  the  land  for 
exhibiting  aggressiveness  in  electrical  matters. 
We  would  make  it  an  electric  city.  We  secured 
control  of  the  old  Electric  Lighting  Company, 
employed  a  manager  whom  we  knew  to  be 
aggressive,  and  who  possessed  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  business.  We  not  only  gave 
him  a  good  salary,  but  offered  a  commission  to 
him  of  5  per  cent  on  all  increased  business 
which  he  might  secure  for  the  Company.  The 


EVENING  IN  ENGLISH  HOME     145 

price  of  electricity  was  reduced  to  a  point  more 
comparable  with  other  cities  in  England,  where 
successful  results  were  being  secured,  and  soon 
we  were  making  great  headway. 

"In  view  of  the  necessity  of  educating  the 
public  in  regard  to  proper  wiring,  the  Company 
decided  to  make  a  special  arrangement  with  wir- 
ing contractors  so  as  to  encourage  the  people 
as  much  as  possible  to  use  electricity  liberally. 
Great  effort  was  made  to  illustrate  the  use  of 
the  devices  for  a  time,  in  several  sections  of 
the  city,  so  as  to  quickly  acquaint  the  people 
with  the  varied  and  convenient  uses  of  electric 
household  devices,  industrial  motors,  incandes- 
cent lamps,  fan  motors,  etc.,  etc. 

"  Another  very  good  policy  we  adopted  at  a 
small  cost,  and  it  turned  out  to  be  -a  good  invest- 
ment. The  Company  decided  to  build  a  half 
dozen  houses,  two  of  them  representative  of  flats, 
which  would  rent  for  a  small  sum  comparable 
with  other  flats  in  the  same  location.  Also  two 
of  them  to  be  small  sized  houses  and  two  to  be 
large  sized  houses,  for  which  it  was  known  there 
was  a  demand.  They  gave  the  most  special 
attention  to  the  wiring  of  these  houses.  The 
engineer  of  the  Company  first  made  his  sug- 
gestions to  the  contractors  of  the  city,  and 
architects  were  called  upon  for  advice,  and  to 
show  them  what  object  was  in  view.  The 
special  engineer  at  the  works  on  wiring,  light- 
ing and  heating  devices  was  also  called  in,  and 
they  drew  up  their  plans  most  carefully.  They 
wanted  to  have  the  character  of  the  work  good 
and  exemplify  all  the  devices  which  are  con- 
venient and  attractive,  yet  keep  the  cost  within 
reasonable  figures.  This  policy,  in  addition  to 
the  many  houses  built  by  our  engineers  and  fore- 


146  LOOKING  FORWARD 

men  at  the  works,  offered  a  liberal  education 
for  the  entire  city.  After  that,  whenever  a  house 
was  to  be  erected,  the  architect  first  took  an 
interest  in  the  electrical  end;  the  contractor 
next;  then  the  supply  dealer,  and  the  owner's 
attention  was  drawn  forcibly  to  the  electrical 
matters  about  the  house.  Lighting,  heating  and 
motor  devices  were  as  common  for  consideration 
as  the  color  of  the  paint  or  the  style  of  architec- 
ture." 

4 'Well,"  said  Mrs.  Phelps,  this  is  surely  tire- 
some for  Mrs.  Tyler,  and  I  think  perhaps  the 
girls  have  actually  had  enough  'shop'  for  one 
night.  I  have  some  things  to  show  you  upstairs, 
and  we  will  leave  the  men  here  to  talk  more  busi- 
ness. Tom  and  Charlie  are  the  greatest  ones  to 
talk  and  I  hope  they  will  not  tire  you  out  Mr. 
Tyler." 

The  men,  therefore,  continued  their  talk,  and 
many  were  the  interesting  and  amusing 
incidents  which  were  brought  back  to  their 
minds,  when  Tom  and  Phelps  were  closely 
associated  with  each  other  years  ago  in  the 
States.  Phelps  was  one  of  nature's  noblemen 
and  Tom  loved  him  like  a  brother.  It  seemed 
to  him  that  Phelps  looked  sick  and  he  urged  him 
not  to  work  so  hard. 

A  half  hour  later  they  prepared  to  leave  for 
the  hotel  as  they  had  to  rise  early  for  the  air- 
ship excursion.  Phelps  said  he  regretted  very 
much  he  could  not  be  over  in  the  morning  and 
see  them  off  as  he  had  already  made  an  impor- 
tant engagement  and  could  not  well  break  it. 

They  all  thanked  Mrs.  Phelps  heartily  for  a 
most  pleasant  evening,  and  the  last  thins:  Tom 
said  to  Phelps  was  not  to  work  so  hard.  He 
promised  he  would  take  a  rest  and  they  said 


EVENING  IN  ENGLISH  HOME     147 

good-bye.  It  was  the  last  time  Tom  ever  saw 
him,  for  he  was  taken  to  his  bed  shortly  after- 
wards and  never  recovered.  The  electrical  in- 
dustry had  been  benefited  by  his  work.  He  gave 
his  whole  life  and  soul  to  the  electrical  profes- 
sion and  with  his  death  the  industry  suffered  a 
loss. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION. 

It  was  about  seven  o  'clock  in  the  morning,  and 
everybody  was  astir  bright  and  early  at  the  hotel 
Continental.  Many  of  the  guests  had  already 
learned  that  Lord  Kelton  would  breakfast  there 
at  the  hotel  with  the  distinguished  Americans, 
one  of  whom  was  a  delegate  to  the  International 
Electrical  Congress,  and  none  other  than 
Evelyn's  father.  The  local  paper  the  evening 
before  had  written  a  half  column  in  regard  to 
Mr.  Tyler's  visit  to  Rugvale,  describing  his  vast 
connections  with  large  electrical  corporations  in 
the  States.  Reference  was  made  to  his  success- 
ful administration  as  President  of  the  National 
Electrical  Association  in  America,  and  the  honor 
conferred  upon  him  in  the  election  as  delegate 
to  the  Electrical  Congress  of  all  the  Nations.  The 
editorial  further  stated  that  the  visit  of  Lord 
Kelton  personally  to  Rugvale,  with  his  aeroplane 
to  greet  the  American  banker  and  capitalist,  was 
indicative  of  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was 
held  by  the  electrical  fraternity  of  England. 

As  early  as  seven-thirty  they  were  all  in  the 
breakfast-room,  and  it  was  a  happy  party  seated 
around  the  table.  Lord  Kelton  sat  at  one  end 
with  Mrs.  Tyler  on  the  right  and  Evelyn  at  his 
left.  While  waiting  for  breakfast  to  be  served  a 

148 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  149 

great  many  questions  were  asked  regarding  the 
air  apparatus.  Lord  Kelton  answered  them  in  a 
very  plain  and  intelligent  manner,  indicative  of 
much  thought  and  time  given  to  the  subject. 

"How  delightful  it  must  be,"  said  Evelyn, 
''Ever  since  your  wireless  message,  Lord  Kel- 
ton, we  have  eagerly  looked  forward  to  this  ex- 
perience," 

"I  am  sure  you  will  enjoy  it.  Sometimes  one 
of  my  passengers  exhibits  a  little  fear  at  first, 
but  it  vanishes  entirely  after  a  very  few  mo- 
ments," he  said. 

"Do  you  consider  the  electric  system  of  bal- 
looning to  be  a  complete  success  ? ' '  asked  Tom. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  Lord  Kelton  replied.  "It  is  not 
only  a  success  scientifically,  but  in  the  past  year 
many  practical  demonstrations  of  commercial 
value,  have  been  made.  Large  orders  have  been 
placed  for  express  cars,  and  within  a  few  months 
there  will  be  in  use  in  England  two  or  three 
hundred  aeroplanes." 

"We  were  saying  recently,"  remarked  Mr. 
Tyler,  "that  we  felt  that  the  most  wonderful 
piece  of  electrical  machinery  on  board  the  Elec- 
trania  coming  over,  was  the  wireless  apparatus. 
I  understand  your  flying  machine  is  controlled 
by  a  similar  apparatus,  but,  of  course,  much 
more  powerful. ' ' 

"Yes,  you  are  correct,"  Lord  Kelton  replied 
"There  are  a  dozen  electrical  companies  which 
are  equipped  with  the  apparatus  for  transmit- 
ting powerful  currents  of  electricity  through 
the  air.  Very  high  poles  are  erected  in  their 
works'  yards,  these  poles  closely  resembling  the 
wireless  stations  you  have  already  doubtless  seen. 
Each  of  the  twelve  stations  supplies  current  for 
a  particular  zone  including  a  territory  of  fifty 


150  LOOKING  FORWARD 

square  miles.  Therefore  the  aeroplane  is  within 
the  range  of  electrical  power,  of  the  proper  quan- 
tity and  kind,  extending  over  six  hundred  square 
miles,  in  any  direction  North,  East,  South  or 
West,  and  apparently  to  any  height  above  the 
earth.  As  soon  as  you  see  my  car,  you  will  notice 
apparatus  of  a  similar  character,  in  appearance 
at  least,  to  the  wireless  machinery  on  board  the 
Electrania.  It  is  the  ability  of  this  apparatus 
to  receive  electricity  by  induction,  from  the 
sources  of  supply  I  mentioned,  which  furnishes 
the  power  to  start  the  motor,  which  in  turn  re- 
volves the  machinery  of  the  aeroplane." 

"It  is  highly  wonderful,"  said  Mr.  Tyler. 
* '  To  me  it  is  the  most  marvelous  of  all  the  many- 
electrical  wonders  with  which  the  art  is  bounti- 
fully favored." 

''Yes,  I  have  often  felt  as  you  do,  Mr.  Tyler," 
said  Lord  Kelton.  "I  think  that  scientists  and 
electrical  engineers  keenly  feel  in  awe  of  that 
great  principle  of  inductioin.  Experience  has 
of  course,  taught  us  many  of  the  common  laws 
governing  inductive  effects. 

They  had  finished  breakfast,  and  had  left  the 
dining  room  with  the  eyes  of  every  guest  upon 
them.  Lord  Kelton  was  at  the  side  of  Evelyn,and 
both  attracted  more  than  usual  attention.  She, 
because  she  was  a  beautiful  American  girl;  he, 
because  he  was  a  scientist  of  great  fame,  and  a 
man  who  neither  lived  on  the  earth,  nor  under 
the  earth;  nor  yet  under  the  waters  of  the 
earth,  but  amidst  the  birds  of  the  air,  up  close 
to  the  beautiful  blue  sky,  where  the  atmosphere 
is  infinitely  clear  and  pure,  where  there  is 
neither  dust  nor  dirt;  nor  smoke. 

"Strange!"  remarked  Lord  Kelton  to  Evelyn, 
as  they  were  walking  along  together,  "but  my 


AIE  SHIP  EXCURSION  151 

car  takes  less  power  to  propel  it,  the  greater 
height  I  ascend  from  the  earth." 

"Why,  how  do  you  account  for  it?"  asked 
Evelyn. 

*  *  I  really  don 't  know, ' '  he  said,  * '  I  have  tried 
to  solve  the  answer,  sometimes  checking  over 
my  instruments  which  record  the  energy  con- 
sumed, thinking  perhaps  they  were  inaccurate. 
Then,  again,  I  have  thought  of  the  static  elec- 
tricity which  must  exist  in  those  higher  regions 
to  a  greater  extent  than  on  earth,  unless  the  ex- 
ception may  be  in  such  mountainous  regions  as 
the  Pike's  Peak  section  or  the  Alps  territories 
offer.  But  to  no  avail.  It  all  leads  me  to  believe, 
Miss  Tyler,  that  there  are  greater  wonders  in  the 
air  than  we  have  yet  dreamed  of." 

A  messenger  came  up  to  Lord  Kelton  and 
proudly  informed  him  that  the  automobile  was 
at  the  door,  which  was  to  convey  them  to  the 
aerial  garage.  The  ladies  had  been  advised  about 
the  necessary  wraps,  which  had  been  brought 
down  with  them,  and  were  now  being  placed  in 
the  machine.  Their  luggage  and  trunks  were 
left  with  the  porter  to  be  sent  to  London,  and 
with  a  good-morning  to  the  proprietor  and  clerk, 
the  flying-machine  party  walked  out  to  the  auto 
and  were  driven  over  to  the  electrical  station 
from  which  point  the  ascent  was  to  be  made.  It 
was  not  more  than  a  half  mile  and  they  soon 
reached  the  place.  As  the  machine  entered  the 
works'  yard,  they  all  noticed  the  tall  pole  with 
its  electrical  paraphernalia  and  a  short  distance 
away  was  the  great  tall  shed  or  stable  in  which 
the  aeroplane  was  "hitched." 

It  was  surely  an  exciting  time  for  all  of  them. 
They  gazed  at  the  shed  like  the  old  farmer  who 
came  to  town  and  looked  for  the  first  time  at  an 


152  LOOKING  FORWARD 

electric  street  car.  There  was  really  more  ex- 
cuse for  wonder  in  connection  with  this  experi- 
ence, because  they  were  not  only  strangers  to  the 
machine  itself,  but  were  entirely  unacquainted 
with  the  traveling  characteristics  of  the  air. 

Tom  Appleton  was  the  first  to  jump  out  of  the 
auto.  He  might  be  given  credit  for  greater  sta- 
bility or  control  over  his  enthusiasm  than  any- 
one else  in  the  party.  It  was  not  that  he  lacked 
interest  in  the  wonderful  ride  they  were  about 
to  take,  but  he  was  unable  to  control  his  feelings 
in  regard  to  Evelyn  Tyler.  All  through  the 
week  on  board  the  steamer,  and  ever  since  they 
started,  he  had  been  experiencing  some  of  the 
happiest  days  of  'his  life.  Night  and  day  he 
thought  of  that  dear,  sweet  face,  which  was  al- 
ways so  bright  and  cheerful.  He  thought  of  the 
frank  open  manner  in  which  she  had  suggested 
calling  him  Tom,  and  this  morning  she  looked 
so  fresh  and  pure  in  his  eyes,  that  he  made  up 
his  mind  at  the  breakfast  table  to  be  just  a 
trifle  risky  for  this  one  day.  So,  as  Evelyn 
alighted  from  the  -auto,  giving  his  hand  a  tight 
squeeze,  he  whispered  softly  in  her  ear,  ' '  I  want 
to  sit  beside  you  in  the  car." 

They  all  walked  together  over  toward  the 
garage.  Lord  Kel ton's  assistants  had  evidently 
made  all  preparations  for  the  ascension,  and 
they  therefore  took  seats  at  once.  Without  at- 
tracting attention  Evelyn  had  taken  a  seat  next 
to  Tom  and  he  was  happy.  To  be  a  trifle  frank 
but  positively  confidential,  Evelyn  was  also  ex- 
periencing moments,  yea,  hours  and  days  of  su- 
preme happiness. 

The  main  switch  was  thrown,  in  connection 
with  which  there  was  heard  only  the  slight  snap- 
ping sounds  aloft  on  the  great  electrical  ball  re- 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  153 

ceivers.  Lord  Kelton  had  taken  a  position  on  the 
commander's  deck,  just  forward  and  'high 
enough  above  the  rest  so  as  not  to  obstruct  the 
view  ahead.  The  next  order  was  to  throw  the 
motor  switch,  when  a  slight  vibration  of  a  power- 
ful motor,  might  be  noticed.  The  third  order, 
closed  the  switch  which  started  the  propeller. 
Slowly,  but  gracefully,  they  left  the  earth,  as- 
cending gradually  at  an  angle  of  about  fifteen 
degrees.  They  cleared  the  tall  steeples,  the 
trees  and  the  house-tops,  and  as  Evelyn  turned 
her  head  to  look  down,  way  down  below  on 
mother-earth,  the  feeling  of  fear  came  over  her, 
which  Lord  Kelton  had  mentioned  >at  the  break- 
fast table. 

"Tom,  I  .am  actually  frightened,"  she  whisp- 
ered, and  instinctively  clutched  his  arm  and  sat 
up  nearer  to  him. 

Tom  knew  no  fear,  but  'he  was  sufficiently 
thoughtful  and  observing  to  know  that  just  a 
little  encouragement,  at  this  time,  would  help 
matters  wonderfully.  He  looked  into  her  face, 
their  eyes  met,  and  he  said  calmly  to  her, 
* '  Evelyn,  do  not  look  down  for  a  while,  but  look 
away  into  the  vast  expanse  of  beautiful  atmos- 
pheric territory.  I  want  you  to  notice  how 
proud  Lord  Kelton  appears!  Do  you  see  his 
Lieutenant  <at  the  helm  ?  Notice  how  cleverly  he 
handles  the  car,  changing  his  course  a  trifle  now, 
at  the  same  time  increasing  the  angle  of  ascen- 
sion, and  isn't  it  wonderful  to  see  the  amount 
of  room  'and  the  conveniences  available  in  this 
vehicle ! ' ' 

It  was  a  clever  way  that  Tom  possessed,  of  at- 
tracting one's  attention,  and  effectively  chang- 
ing the  subject  in  such  a  manner  as  to  relieve 
the  situation.  He  had  done  the  same  thing  with 


154  LOOKING  FORWARD 

his  sister  many  a  time  before,  and  now  Evelyn 
had  forgotten  her  uncomfortable  feeling,  and 
was  listening  attentively  to  Tom's  pleasant  voice 
as  he  described  many  interesting  points  of  con- 
struction about  the  car. 

Lord  Kelton  had  come  down  again  among 
them,  and  was  calling  their  attention  to  the  ap- 
pearance .of  the  trees,  and  the  hills  and  the 
streams  below.  The  trees  looked  like  green  vel- 
vet lawns,  with*  the  hills  interrupting  the  monot- 
ony and  introducing  an  undulating  character  to 
the  picture,  adding  gracefulness  and  beauty  to 
their  first  "earth  scene "  as  viewed  from  the 
fifth  strata  of.  atmospheric  space,  and  as  noted 
on  the  sectional  aerial  space  indicator.  And  the 
rivers  down  there,  flowing  peacefully  over  the 
surface  of  the  earth,  looked  like  tiny  beds  of 
glass.  The  sun's  li^ht  upon  the  waters,  made 
mirrors  from  which  beautiful  views  were  re- 
flected, ever  increasing  the  scene  of  beauty  which 
the  earth  was  capable  of  exhibiting. 

"In  order  that  you  may  have  no  fear  what- 
ever," said  Lord  Helton,  "I  will  say  that  should 
any  cne  territorial  zone,  for  any  reason,  fail  to 
give  power,  an  automatic  device,  cuts  in  a  series 
of  storage  cells,  sufficient  in  power  to  keep  us 
moving  in  a  forward,  downward  direction,  and 
simultaneously,  a  set  of  aluminum  wings  spread 
themselves  in  a  manner  to  very  greatly  increase 
the  resistance  of  the  car  against  violent  descent; 
cr,  in  other  words,  they  produce  uniformity  in 
downward  motion  and  avoid  diving  or  exhibi- 
tions of  unarrial  mannerisms." 

At  this  he  laughed,  and  turning  to  the  chief 
aeronaut  asked  what  speed  they  were  making. 
The  answer  was  received  sixty-five  miles  an  hour 
which  was  only  about  seventy  per  cent,  of  the 


'  *  The  silence  was  interrupted  by  a  noise, 
which  startled  them  all." 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  155 

speed  they  would  attain  as  the  .height  of  ascen- 
sion increased.  He  told  them  they  were  still  ris- 
ing gradually,  and  as  he  had  finished  speaking, 
the  silence  was  interrupted  by  a  noise,  which 
startled  them  all ;  that  is,  all  except  Lord  Kelton 
and  his  aeronautic  assistants.  Again  Evelyn 
drew  close  to  Tom,  and  took  hold  of  his  hand. 
Before  he  could  advise  her,  Lord  Kelton  said, 

"That  is  the  receiver.  It  indicates  another 
air  ship  in  this  zone.  My  assistant  will  soon  tell 
me  the  exact  distance  away,  her  speed,  the 
course  she  is  traveling,  and  all  about  her. 
You  see  each  ship  has  immediate  correspondence 
with  each  other,  within  a  radius  of  fifty  square 
miles.  Note  particularly  what  an  element  of 
safety  this  represents  for  traveling.  The  old 
steam  trains  had  their  whistles  which  could  be 
heard  but  a  few  miles  away.  The  automobiles 
have  their  horns,  and  at  night  their  lights,  but 
the  electric  air  ship  "picks  up"  a  sister  ship 
fifty  miles  away  and  immediately  learns  all 
about  her  plans,  to  avoid  accident  of  any  kind. ' ' 

"Down  there  below,"  he  continued,  "you  see 
what  looks  like  -a  little  village.  It  is  the  city  of 
Manchester.  You  will  be  glad  to  know,  Mr.  Ty- 
ler, that  we  consider  Manchester  one  of  the  most 
aggressive  electrical  cities  in  all  Britain.  It  is 
strange,  too,  when  you  come  to  think  of  it,  be- 
cause it  is  a  workin^man 's  town,  a  great  manu- 
facturing center.  But  that  is  the  reason  why  we 
think  so  much  of  the  progress  made  by  that  elec- 
trical company.  They  have  so  studied  the  sub- 
ject that  in  every  home  in  all  Manchester,  elec- 
tric lights  are  freely  used.  The  electric  house- 
hold utensils  are  wonderfully  popular,  also, 
and—" 

Evelyn  had  been  listening  intently  to  every 


156  LOOKING  FORWARD 

word,  and  was  looking  square  at  'him,  when  all  of 
a  sudden  and  quick  as  a  flash,  he  stopped,  his  face 
changed  color  slightly.  The  car  slackened  speed 
perceptibly.  What  was  the  matter!  It  com- 
menced to  descend  and  was  diving. 

The  aluminum  wings  were  spreading!  The 
battery  indicator  showed  that  the  batteries  were 
cutting  in.  Loud  and  stern  was  heard  Lord  Kel- 
ton's  command  to  his  assistants,  ''Steady  boys, 
careful  at  the  steering  wheel.  Everybody  hold 
on  tight.  We  shall  land  safely." 

Just  then  another  lurch  sent  a  sensation  of 
fear  and  trembling  through  the  minds  and  bodies 
of  the  ladies.  Evelyn  leaned  over  close  to  Tom, 
and  whispered,  ''Tom,  are  you  afraid?" 

"No,  Evelyn,  I  am  not,"  he  said.  She  had  let 
go  <her  hold  of  the  ship  and  was  tight  in  his 
arms. 

Again  there  was  a  savage  lurch,  and  she  again 
whispered, 

1 '  Tom,  if  we  are  taken  now,  we  will  enter  into 
eternity  together.  Are  you  happy?" 

"Absolutely,  Evelyn,  we  will  be  together," 
and  he  held  her  closer  than  ever. 

Just  at  this  point  it  will  be  exceedingly  inter- 
esting to  know  the  whereabouts  of  Frank  Shel- 
don, and  what  he  is  doing.  Some  ten  days  be- 
fore, he  had  arrived  in  Manchester,  England, 
having  come  over  to  Europe  immediately  after 
the  cowardly  automobile  affair  in  connection 
with  which  he  was  now  a  fugitive  from  justice. 
He  had  heard  through  the  American  papers  that 
Mr.  Tyler  was  appointed  a  delegate  to  the  In- 
ternational Congress  at  Berlin,  and  it  seemed 
fair  to  assume  that  the  Tylers  would  arrive  at 
no  late  date,  at  least.  Having  watched  the  list  of 
cabin  passengers  on  all  the  steamers  which  had 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  157 

arrived,  he  finally  noticed  that  they  were  on  board 
the  Electrania,  but  much  to  his  surprise  and 
chagrin  he  saw  the  names  of  Tom  Appleton  and 
Eethyl  next  on  the  list.  For  a  moment  this 
made  him  furious,  but  he  soon  calmed  down, 
and  commenced  to  think  over  the  situation.  He 
was  stopping  at  the  hotel  Carlton.  As  he  sat 
there  in  the  lobby  of  the  hotel,  a  messenger  boy 
was  going  through  the  corridors  calling  ou\t 
"  Telegram  for  Mr.  Kingsley."  Sheldon  knew 
that  Kingsley  was  stopping  there  at  the 
hotel,  and  that  he  was  very  much  in- 
terested in  Eethyl  Appleton.  Here  was  an  op- 
portunity for  him  to  know  what  was  going  on, 
at  least.  So  he  signalled  to  the  boy,  put  a  shill- 
ing in  his  hand,  and  told  him  that  Mr.  Kingsley 
wanted  him  to  look  at  the  telegram,  in  his  ab- 
sence. This  was  a  natural  request,  and  the  boy 
gave  him  the  message  walking  away  happy,  with 
a  very  liberal  tip. 

Sheldon  tore  open  the  envelope  and  read, 
"Leaving  \here  tomorrow  morning  with  Lord 
Kelton's  party,  in  aeroplane  for  London.  Hope 
to  meet  you  there."  (Signed)  Eethyl  Appleton. 

Here  was  his  opportunity.  Carefully  he 
folded  the  envelope  and  sealed  it.  The  messen- 
ger boy  was  there  in  the  lobby  still,  and  he 
beckoned  to  him  to  come  over. 

"This  telegram  is  not  very  important  boy. 
Put  it  in  Mr.  Kingsley 's  box. ' ' 

Therefore,  the  telegram  was  not  sent  to  his 
room.  Mr.  Kingsley  was  not  there  all  the  even- 
ing, and  hurried  up  to  his  room  late  at  night, 
without  getting  the  telegram.  In  the  morning 
he  slept  late,  and  not  until  half -past  nine  did  he 
see  Eethyl's  message.  Then  he  started  at  once 
for  the  station  of  the  Manchester  Electrical  Com- 


158  LOOKING  FORWARD 

pany.  He  hurried  all  the  way,  feeling  that  for 
some  reason  or  other,  he  ought  to  hurry,  and  see 
if  the  sectional  territorial  space  indicator  was  all 
right.  He  was  making  a  special  study  of  this 
system  over  here  in  England,  and  knew  that  as 
Lord  Kelton's  party  approached  and  passed 
Manchester,  the  indicator  would  record  their 
safety  first;  also  speed,  height  of  atmospheric 
strata  attained,  etc.  He  had  been  there  several 
times  before,  and  this  morning  hurried  right 
through  the  yard  to  the  station  switchboard. 
Opening  the  door,  he  saw  the  large  turbine  room 
vacant,  except  for  one  man  who  was  hurrying 
away  from  the  switchboard.  He  could  just  get 
a  glimpse  of  his  face  and  recognized  him  as  Shel- 
don, but  hark!  there  is  the  "aerial  emergency 
signal!"  What  does  it  mean?  Is  there  nobody 
about?  He  commenced  to  shout,  for  he  knew 
they  were  due  in  the  zone  just  about  this  time, 
and  something  told  him  that  it  was  their  ship 
which  was  in  distress.  He  haloo'd  to  the  top  of 
his  voice,  and  the  emergency  bell  was  fiercely 
ringing,  yet  it  seemed  an  age  to  him  before  a 
switchboard  man  hurried  into  the  room,  saw  at 
a  glance  the  switch  which  had  been  pulled,  and 
grabbing  it  with  a  jerk  it  was  in  again,  and  the 
zone  was  once  more  furnishing  power  to  Lord 
Kelton  's  aeroplane. 

Back  again  we  turn  to  the  party,  miles  above 
the  earth  in  a  car  which  had  stopped  flying  and 
was  exercising  the  law  of  gravity  just  about  as 
fast  as  the  emergency  factors  in  its  design,  would 
permit.  But  listen!  The  snap  is  again  heard! 
There  is  a  strong  held  once  more  upon  the  car. 
It  felt  to  the  party  as  if  the  God  of  the  Heavens 
had  suspended  a  powerful  magnet  in  the  space 
above  them,  and  it  was  gradually  but  positively 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  159 

holding  them  up;  and  now  they  are  ascending 
once  more,  and  sailing  again  through  those  won- 
derful, yea  more  than  wonderful,  regions  of  the 
universe. 

''Get  communication  with  Manchester  station 
quick, ' '  was  the  command  given  by  Lord  Kelton. 

"Aye!  aye!  sir,"  came  the  response. 

A  half  minute  more,  and  the  answer  came, 
"Switch  was  thrown  by  unknown  scoundrel, 
during  inexcusable  absence  of  our  switchboard 
tender.  Positive  assurance  trouble  will  not  re- 
cur." 

"Well,  I  declare,"  said  Lord  Kelton,  "this  is 
worth  knowing."  Then  turning,  he  gave  an 
order  that  all  the  stations  in  the  remaining  zones 
should  be  notified  that  they  were  passing 
through,  and  stations  must  be  sure  about  their 
power.  He  requested  positive  assurance  from 
each  station,  and  upon  receipt  of  their  replies, 
he  was  able  to  influence  his  party  wonderfully. 
They  were  soon  laughing  and  joking  over  the  in- 
cident as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

Tom  Appleton  was  one  of  the  party  who  was 
almost  sorry  to  have  the  episode  end.  Even  with 
the  knowledge  that  they  might  dive  into  eternity 
at  any  moment,  he  was  calm  and  cool.  A  feeling 
of  contentment  and  happiness  had  stolen  over 
him,  for  he  felt  that  the  girl  with  whom  he  had 
become  desperately  in  love  had  shown  signs  of 
similar  feelings  for  him. 

Now  it  was  all  over,  and  he  must  realize  once 
more  that  it  could  not  be.  He  must  not  think 
cf  continuing  such  pranks  under  any  circum- 
stances, because  he  had  duties  before  him  which 
were  plain.  Duties  to  his  sister  and  his  father 
and  mother.  Another  thing,  he  was  not  suitable 
for  such  a  prize.  She  was  rich,  enormously  rich ; 


160  LOOKING  FORWARD 

and  her  father  would  never  think  of  allowing 
him  to  marry  her,  with  the  small  income  he  se- 
cured and  his  meager  prospects.  Then,  if  there 
were  no  hope  of  marrying,  why  encourage  such 
a  situation. 

These  were  some  of  the  thoughts  passing 
through  his  mind,  when  Lord  Kelton  suggested 
that  they  should  have  a  little  lunch.  It  was 
nigh  on  to  noon-time,  and  as  they  had  had  such 
an  early  breakfast,  the  idea  struck  everybody 
favorably. 

The  table  was  spread,  in  the  compartment  be- 
low. The  delicious  fumes  of  a  porterhouse  steak 
were  soon  wafted  up  to  the  hungry  passengers 
above  in  the  observation  room.  The  odor  of  coffee 
was  another  evidence  of  a  delightful  meal  ahead. 
Within  ten  minutes  from  the  time  it  was  sug- 
gested they  had  all  gone  below,  and  were  enjoy- 
ing a  hot  lunch,  far  up  in  those  regions  where 
man  was  only  commencing  to  explore.  But  the 
progress  of  electricity  in  1912  was  marvelous. 
The  old  saying  ' l  There  is  nothing  new  under  the 
sun,"  is  surely  no  longer  true,  because  no  one 
ever  contemplated  in  the  dark  ages,  or  the  mid- 
dle ages,  or  any  age  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
that  a  party  would  sail  through  the  air  in  1912 
in  an  electric  air  ship,  miles  above  the  earth,  and 
eat  a  hot  lunch  cooked  on  board  by  electricity. 
After  the  lunch  was  over  the  cigars  were  passed 
around.  Electric  cigar  lighters  could  be  used 
with  safety  here  on  board  where  matches  were 
considered  risky.  Lord  Kelton  gave  instructions 
for  the  chafing  dish  to  be  brought  out,  and  the 
girls  made  fudge  for  the  party.  Then  came  the 
surprise  of  all,  for  at  a  command,  one  of  the  crew 
turned  a  music  switch,  and  the  Telharmonium 
gave  forth  its  tones  in  the  same  manner  as  the 


AIR  SHIP  EXCURSION  161 

houses,  restaurants,  hotels  and  theatres  were 
favored  down  there  on  earth. 

Just  as  the  sound  of  music  died  away,  notice 
was  given  that  they  were  approaching  London, 
and  Lord  Kelton  again  took  personal  command 
on  the  bridge.  The  order  was  given  to  take  angle 
at  fifteen  degrees  down,  and  the  car  gracefully 
dipped,  but  without  any  perceptible  change  in 
the  comfort  of  the  party.  No  difficulty  what- 
ever was  experienced  in  landing  safely  at  the 
garage,  where  two  autos  conveyed  them  to  their 
hotels.  Lord  Kelton  accepted  an  invitation  to 
lunch  with  them  next  day.  Before  leaving  the 
entire  party  thanked  him  in  a  very  earnest  man- 
ner for  a  most  enjoyable  excursion,  Which  had 
pleased  him  as  well. 

The  London  Times  that  evening  mentioned  the 
successful  tour  of  Lord  Kelton 's  aerial  party 
that  day,  but  made  no  mention  of  the  accidental 
descent. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  ROSES. 

The  party  was  stopping  at  the  hotel  Electrece, 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  popular  first-class 
hotels  in  the  heart  of  London. 

About  two  o'clock,  the  next  day  after  their 
aeroplane  excursion,  they  were  assembled  in  the 
dining-room.  Lord  Kelton  had  arrived  early 
and  was  in  the  best  of  spirits,  which  was  like- 
wise true  regarding  each  one  of  the  party. 
E ethyl  was  particularly  happy,  with  Charlie 
Kingsley  there  by  her  side,  although  she  did  not 
realize  that  the  pleased  expression  on  her  face 
was  so  noticeable,  and  the  reason  so  apparent  to 
the  others. 

Tom  and  Charlie  had  talked  over  the  matter 
of  Sheldon  throwing  the  switch  at  the  Man- 
chester station,  and  decided  it  was  best  not  to 
inform  Lord  Kelton  that  they  knew  the  name 
of  the  party.  The  London  papers  had  made  no 
mention  of  the  incident,  and  Lord  Kelton  evi- 
dently did  not  care  to  discuss  it  further.  Tom 
felt,  however,  that  he  had  a  bitter  enemy  to  deal 
with,  and  must  be  on  his  guard  now  more  than 
ever,  as  it  was  apparent  that  Sheldon  would  not 
stop  at  anything  to  gain  his  purpose,  no  matter 
if  it  involved  Evelyn  as  well  as  Tom  himself. 
Sheldon  was  not  registered  there  or  in  any  of  the 
hotels  in  London,  as  far  as  they  could  determine 
by  careful  search,  but  they  made  up  their  minds 
to  keep  a  careful  watch  for  him. 

162 


THE  ROSES  163 

Lord  Kelton  was  saying  to  Mrs.  Tyler  that 
the  people  of  London  were  very  proud  of  the 
hotel  Electrece. 

*  *  They  may  well  be, ' '  she  replied.  '  *  Our  rooms 
are  exceedingly  comfortable. " 

"The  plans  were  commenced  about  the  time 
of  the  great  Electrical  Era  in  England,"  said 
Lord  Kelton,  "and  the  Architect,  Contractor 
and  Owner  had  so  much  to  consider  in  the  way 
of  electrical  matters,  in  and  around  the  hotel, 
they  thought  Electrece  a  very  appropriate 
name. ' ' 

"An  important  feature  about  the  hotel  in 
which  we  take  pride  is  its  electric  heating  sys- 
tem, and  it  is  said  that  this  is  considered  one  of 
the  best  features  by  the  guests.  At  any  time, 
no  matter  the  character  of  weather,  heat  can  be 
secured  by  simply  throwing  a  switch.  How  often 
has  it  been  said  that  London  hotels  and  boarding 
houses  were  not  comfortable,  even  in  the  month 
of  May,  because  there  was  no  heating  system  for 
warming  the  rooms!  It  was  because  coal  and 
gas  grates  were  depended  upon,  and  they  were 
not  satisfactory  as  room  heaters. ' ' 

"The  English  Electrical  Engineers  became 
very  much  enthused  over  electrical  matters  about 
the  year  1906,  and  Mr.  H.  F.  Partridge  of  Lon- 
don took  the  lead.  His  reputation  as  an  Elec- 
trical Engineer  was  of  the  highest  order,  and  not 
only  throughout  Great  Britain  but  likewise  in 
the  United  States,  he  was  well-known  as  an  ag- 
gressive and  brilliant  engineer. 

"His  engineering  organization  was  large  and 
composed  of  smart  men,  well  acquainted  with 
the  practical  side  of  all  branches  of  the  electrical 
industry. 

But   the  banner  engineering,   of   the   H.   F. 


164  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Partridge  firm,  was  the  installation  of  the  elec- 
tric heating  system  at  this  hotel.  Many  of  the 
electrical  people  thought  that  it  would  not  be  a 
marked  success,  but  this  firm  never  undertook 
anything  and  made  a  failure  of  it.  The  low 
price  of  electricity  in  London,  and  the  character 
of  the  climate,  were  important  factors  which 
lead  to  success,  but  the  advantages  of  the  system 
to  travelers  was  a  feature  not  to  be  overlooked. 
Guests  would  turn  on  the  heat  just  to  take  the 
chill  off  the  room,  and  soon  turn  it  off  again, 
as  too  much  heat  was  disagreeable.  The  hotel 
management  was  extremely  gratified  with  the 
system,  as  it  was  entirely  satisfactory  in  every 
way.  It  was  vastly  superior  to  any  other  sys- 
tem in  the  matter  of  maintenance;  also  operat- 
ing, and  the  safest  of  all  systems.  When  heat 
was  required  it  was  necessary  to  simply  throw 
on  a  switch.  There  was  no  fire  to  be  cared  for, 
and  to  get  low,  if  not  given  proper  attention. 
There  was  no  provision  necessary  for  large  stor- 
age of  coal.  The  Electrical  company  made  a 
business  of  handling  coal,  and  did  it  scientifi- 
cally. They  simply  ran  two  wires  into  a  switch- 
board at  the  Hotel  Electrece;  and  furnished  a 
system  free  from  all  bad  points  of  the  coal  fur- 
nace or  steam  boiler,  yet  instantly  responding 
to  the  requirements  for  heat  by  the  simple  throw- 
ing of  a  switch. 

Thei  success  of  this  sytem  reflected  great  credit 
on  the  firm  of  H.  F.  Partridge  and  especially 
upon  Mr.  Partridge  himself,  who  was,  from  the 
start,  a  keen  believer  in  its  success.  It  had  not 
been  tried  before,  on  a  large  scale,  as  the  condi- 
tions had  not  been  exactly  right ;  but  now  it  had 
actually  been  demonstrated,  and  its  success 


THE  ROSES  165 

added  still  more  to  the  fame  already  gained  by 
that  company. 

It  also  turned  out  to  be  a  very  valuable  feat- 
ure for  the  Hotel  Electrece,  because  the  electri- 
cal papers,  the  daily  papers  and  the  magazines, 
were  continually  writing  about  it,  and  together 
with  the  fine  reputation  which  the  hotel  gained 
for  "service  without  tips,"  it  soon  was  doing  a 
most  thriving  business.  This  was  a  very  grati- 
fying situation,  as  a  new  hotel  not  infrequently 
requires  considerable  time  to  become  advertised 
and  known,  and  even  then  it  is  slow  competitive 
work  at  the  best/* 

"San  Francisco  has  done  remarkable  work  in 
electric  heating/'  said  Mr.  Tyler.  "What  you 
say  about  the  experience  of  the  H.  F.  Partridge 
engineering  firm,  reminds  me  of  the  rapid 
strides  which  are  being  made  in  all  countries. 
You  spoke  of  'service  without  tipping.'  It  is  a 
most  excellent  policy.  We  had  thought  that  per- 
haps the  service  would  be  poor,  but  it  is  not.  I 
was  told  that  a  porter  was  discharged  a  few 
weeks  ago  for  accepting  a  tip.  The  hotel  man- 
agement seem  determined  to  adhere  strictly  to 
the  policy  of  'service  without  tipping/  and  I 
am  sure  it  is  pleasing  to  stop  in  such  a  hotel." 

Matters  of  general  interest  were  then  discussed 
and  after  lunch,  Lord  Kelton's  carriage  was  an- 
nounced at  the  door.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  went 
out  driving,  leaving  the  girls  and  young  men  to 
spend  the  afternoon  by  themselves.  Eethyl  and 
Charlie  went  down  to  the  old  Tower  of  London, 
while  Evelyn  and  Tom  strolled  in  the  other  di- 
rection, toward  Trafalgar  Square,  crossing 
which,  they  entered  the  National  Art  Gallery. 
They  went  into  the  art  gallery  particularly  to 
see  the  paintings,  but  it  was  of  special  interest 


166  LOOKING  FORWARD 

to  notice  how  thoroughly,  and  to  what  extent, 
the  management  had  taken  advantage  of  the  use 
of  electric  lights.  They  were  told  by  one  of  the 
attendants  that  an  illuminating  engineer  de- 
voted months  to  the  gallery,  before  any  change 
whatever  was  made  in  the  lighting.  Finally  he 
made  a  joint  report  with  one  of  the  prominent 
artists,  after  demonstrating  many  lighting  ef- 
fects by  actual  test,  after  which  the  building 
was  rewired  and  lighted  with  a  view  of  exhibit- 
ing the  paintings  to  the  very  best  advantage. 
The  general  lighting  of  the  rooms  to  see  your 
way  about,  was  now  a  secondary  matter,  whereas 
some  years  ago  no  attention  whatever  was  paid 
to  the  proper  exhibition  of  the  paintings;  they 
had  lights  simply  to  see  your  way  about  the 
place. 

Tom  and  Evelyn  had  taken  seats  opposite  a 
painting  by  Raphael.  It  was  getting  along  to- 
ward four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  as  the 
day  was  cloudy,  they  would  have  been  unable  to 
see  the  picture  to  advantage,  had  it  not  been 
properly  lighted  by  artificial  light. 

"Just  think,"  said  Tom,  "that  picture  was 
valued  at  $270,000.  It  was  considered  one  of 
the  best  in  the  gallery.  Yet  for  years  there 
were  days  and  days  when  tourists  passed  through 
this  room,  and  could  not  get  even  a  fair  idea 
of  the  painting,  due  to  poor  light.  Illuminating 
engineering  is  certainly  of  great  benefit  in  con- 
nection with  art  galleries. 

"There  is  a  painting  here  owned  by  J.  Pier- 
pont  Morton  which  has  been  loaned  to  the  gal- 
lery. See  how  beautifully  the  colors  are  brought 
out!  Isn't  it  wonderful  how  accurately  artifi- 
cial light  reproduces  colors?  Experts  who  have 
devoted  years  of  study  to  the  subject,  claim  that 


THE  ROSES  167 

the  arc  light,  properly  equipped  and  installed, 
is  absolutely  accurate  for  reproducing  colors, 
identically  as  daylight  will  reproduce  them." 

Evelyn  asked  if  the  gallery  were  ever  open  in 
the  evening. 

1 '  That  has  been  a  great  feature  of  this  gal- 
lery, "  said  the  attendant.  "After  the  great  im- 
provement in  illumination,  the  opportunities  for 
studying  the  paintings  in  the  evening,  were  so 
good  that  the  directors  concluded  to  have  the 
gallery  opened  every  Wednesday  and  Saturday 
evening  during  the  winter  months. 

"A  record  kept  during  the  past  two  winters 
showed  that  the  largest  numbers  of  people,  who 
visited  the  gallery  in  the  evening,  were  working 
men  with  their  wives  and  daughters,  and  the 
scheme  has  been  continued  to  the  great  satisfac- 
tion of  everybody." 

As  it  was  nearly  five  o'clock,  they  returned  to 
the  hotel,  taking  one  of  the  electric  omnibuses 
so  popular  then  in  London.  In  1905  a  great 
many  tests  of  these  buses  were  made,  but  it  was 
not  until  the  Edmund's  Battery  was  successfully 
introduced  that  the  electric  buses  became  very 
generally  used.  It  was  a  very  rare  thing  to  see 
an  omnibus  in  London  driven  by  horses,  and  the 
old  gasoline  buses,  once  used  to  a  limited  extent, 
were  either  remodeled  for  the  electric  equip- 
ment, or  else  sold  as  second-hand  to  some  of  the 
smaller  cities. 

"Did  it  not  take  a  long  time  for  the  Edmunds 
Battery  to  come  into  general  commercial 
favor  ? ' '  asked  Evelyn. 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom,  "but  all  good  things 
come  slowly.  The  extra  time  taken,  however, 
demonstrated  beyond  any  question,  the  very 
durable  features  of  the  battery,  and  the  delay 


168  LOOKING  FORWARD 

in  its  introduction  was  also  fortunate,  because 
prices  for  current  were  materially  reduced  later, 
and  it  was  just  these  two  features  which  created 
a  very  favorable  impression  upon  the  London 
companies  operating  the  buses.  They  were  sure 
that  the  people  would  prefer  the  electric  type, 
because  it  offered  such  advantages  as  cleanli- 
ness, ease  of  riding,  ease  of  starting  and  stop- 
ping, minimum  noise,  and  above  all,  the  Elec- 
trical Era  had  struck  London,  and  the  engineers 
devoted  such  close  attention  to  the  subject,  and 
were  so  bound  and  determined  to  win,  that  they 
were  exceedingly  successful.  The  electric  bus 
has  turned  out  to  be  a  success  in  every  way. ' ' 

They  were  seated  on  top  of  the  bus,  on  the 
very  last  seat,  and  were  practically  isolated  and 
alone  by  themselves.  Tom  had  congratulated 
himself  upon  being  with  Evelyn  Tyler,  upon 
having  the  opportunity  to  talk  with  her,  to  listen 
to  her  voice,  to  watch  the  pleasing  expressions 
which  were  constantly  illuminating  her  count- 
enance. He  had  frequently  found  himself  think- 
ing of  things  to  say,  which  would  cause  her  to 
smile,  that  he  might  study  and  gaze  with  admira- 
tion at  the  beautiful  face  before  him.  He  was 
happy  to  be  with  her,  to  be  near  her,  sitting  side 
by  side,  there  in  the  gallery,  looking  over  the 
catalogs  together,  and  passing  opinions  upon  the 
comparative  merits  of  the  different  paintings. 
Now  and  then  a  soft  hand  would  gently  rest 
against  his  own,  and  it  thrilled  him  with  a  desire 
to  bend  down  low  and  whisper  to  her,  burning 
words  of  love,  for  he  now  felt  that  she 
cared  for  him  more  than  a  little.  But  he  dared 
not  do  it,  and  as  they  sat  there  on  the  bus,  watch- 
ing the  throngs  of  people  passing  to  and  fro, 
hurrying  and  scurrying  in  an  aimless  manner, 


THE  ROSES  169 

it  made  him  think  of  his  predicament.  Was  he 
doing  right?  Could  he  continue  in  this  man- 
ner, trusting  in  his  promise  to  himself  to  control 
his  feelings  absolutely,  no  matter  what  the  con- 
ditions. His  reverie  was  interrupted  by  Evelyn 
saying  softly, 

' '  Tom,  I  did  not  mean  to  be  such  a  coward  as 
I  appeared  yesterday  in  the  flying  machine,  but 
the  sensation  of  fear  came  over  me  so  suddenly 
that  I  did  not  have  time  to  carefully  consider 
what  I  did." 

Tom  felt  himself  again  losing  his  good  inten- 
tions. He  wanted  to  answer  that  he  would  like 
to  be  by  her  side  all  through  life,  and  protect 
her  from  all  danger  and  harm,  but  finally  his 
judgment  won  out  and  he  actually  said, 

"I  think  I  understood  your  feelings.  Surely 
it  was  an  experience  which  we  will  never  forget. 
I  am  glad  if  I  helped  to  give  you  assurance  of 
safety,  and  allay  your  slight  fear. ' ' 

The  conductor  called  out  hotel  Electrece,  their 
conversation  was  ended,  and  dismounting  from 
their  upper  deck  seats,  they  walked  slowly 
through  the  court  yard  to  the  ladies'  entrance. 
Tom  excused  himself  and  Evelyn  went  into  the 
writing  room.  An  hour  later,  when  Tom  went 
up  to  his  room,  he  found  a  large  bunch  of 
luscious  red  roses  on  the  table,  and  an  envelope 
addressed  to  him  near  by.  Tearing  it  open  he 
read  the  following  note: 

1  'Dear  Tom, 

"I  could  not  tell  you  on  the  bus  all  I  wanted  to 
say  about  our  experience  yesterday  in  the  air- 
ship. It  is  the  second  time  we  nave  been  in 
grave  danger  together,  and  I  have  greatly  ad- 
mired your  courage.  At  the  time  of  our  wild 
auto  ride,  your  cool,  determined  manner  saved 


170  LOOKING  FORWARD 

my  life.  I  told  my  father  and  mother  about  it, 
and  they  know  I  am  writing  to  you  my  feelings. 
I  did  not  tell  them  until  this  morning,  and  I  am 
sure  they  will  thank  you  personally  for  the  cour- 
age you  displayed.  Will  you  please  accept  these 
roses  as  tokens  of  my  respect  for  you. 
"  Yours  truly, 

"Evelyn   Tyler." 
"P.  S. 

"Should  you  wear  one  of  these  tonight  at  din- 
ner, I  shall  know  that  you  are  thinking  of  me. ' ' 

Tom  read  and  reread  the  postscript.  Surely 
his  case  was  getting  more  serious.  He  felt  posi- 
tive now  that  she  loved  him.  Should  he  wear 
one  of  her  roses  down  to  dinner?  Would  it  not 
injure  her  to  lead  her  on  in  this  manner?  Would 
it  help  his  own  case  ?  This  thought  he  put  aside 
immediately.  He  was  bound  that  his  own  wel- 
fare should  have  no  weight  in  the  matter.  He 
must  consider  what  was  best  for  her. 

His  brain  was  in  a  whirl,  and  when  he  went 
down  stairs  to  dinner,  he  hardly  knew  what  he 
did  or  said,  except  that  he  didn't  have  on  the 
rose.  Soon  he  saw  a  lovely  vision  coming  over 
toward  him.  She  was  dressed  in  the  same  black 
velvet  gown  as  when  he  first  danced  with  her  at 
the  college  ball.  What  a  prize  for  some  fellow! 
He  wished  with  all  his  soul  that  he  had  worn  the 
emblem  of  love  which  was  so  generously  sug- 
gested. 

He  felt  his  face  turn  red,  and  then  he  was 
saying  to  her  that  he  had  received  the  roses  and 
thanked  her  for  them.  But  oh,  what  a  hollow 
voice  was  that!  Could  it  be  Tom  talking  to 
Evelyn?  He  saw  the  quick  glance,  and  then  a 
slight  flush  which  she  had  tried  so  hard  to  con- 
ceal. They  went  to  dinner,  and  through  the  din- 


THE  ROSES  171 

ner  hour  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  conversa- 
tion was  maintained.  Eethyl  talked  freely  with 
Charlie  Kingsley  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  re- 
lated some  of  their  experiences  during  the  after- 
noon, but  Tom  and  Evelyn  were  unusually  quiet. 
Early  in  the  evening  Evelyn  excused  herself  and 
went  to  her  room.  Closing  the  door  and  locking 
it,  she  threw  herself  face  downward  on  the  bed 
and  wept  like  a  little  child.  When  Eethyl  came 
in  a  couple  of  hours  later,  to  retire,  she  found 
her  asleep  in  the  same  position. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

IN  PARIS, 

During  the  next  few  days  the  girls  were  left 
to  themselves  to  a  considerable  extent.  Tom 
and  Charlie  had  gone  to  Paris  on  business,  while 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler  were  exceedingly  busy. 
Evelyn  had  not  been  feeling  well,  and  her 
mother  thought  it  a  good  plan  for  her  to  lounge 
around  the  hotel,  and  avoid  as  much  excitement 
as  possible.  E ethyl  was  only  too  glad  to  keep 
her  company,  and  it  was  on  one  of  these  after- 
noons that  they  were  seated  in  the  private  parlor 
adjoining  their  rooms.  Evelyn  had  been  trying 
to  become  interested  in  a  new  book  recently 
published,  while  E  ethyl  was  busy  on  a  piece  of 
embroidery  work,  endeavoring  to  finish  it  by  the 
time  they  returned  home,  for  her  mother. 

Finally  Evelyn  looked  up  from  her  book,  and 
glancing  over  to  where  E  ethyl  was  sitting,  she 
was  struck  with  the  close  resemblance  between 
Tom  and  his  sister. 

"How  much  you  look  like  Tom,"  s^he  said. 

"Do  you  think  so?"  replied  Eethyl.  "I  am 
glad,  for  I  always  admired  his  looks." 

"Do  you  believe  Tom  cares  anything  for 
me?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"Why,  of  course,  he  likes  you,  Evelyn. 
What  makes  you  ask  that  silly  question?" 
And  then  she  looked  up  and  noticed  that  Eve- 
lyn's eyes  were  filled  with  tears.  She  left  her 
work  at  once,  and  went  over  where  Evelyn  was 
seated. 

172 


IN  PARIS  173 

"What  is  the  matter,  Evelyn?"  she  asked, 
"Do  you  know,  I  have  felt  that  something  had 
gone  wrong  with  you.  Wouldn  't  you  like  to  tell 
me  what  it  is?" 

Evelyn  then  told  her  the  whole  story  from 
start  to  finish,  and  when  she  arrived  at  the  inci- 
dent of  the  roses,  she  sobbed  as  if  her  heart  would 
break.  And  E  ethyl  comforted  her  as  best  she 
could,  assuring  her  that  it  would  come  out  all 
right. 

"I  am  sure,"  she  said,  "that  Tom  would  cut 
his  hand  off  rather  than  give  you  such  pain,  if 
he  only  knew  it,  Evelyn.  I  know  him  so  thor- 
oughly that  I  am  positive  he  has  some  very  im- 
portant reason  for  failing  to  do  as  you  wished 
him.  Perhaps  he  feels  that  his  duties  to  father 
and  mother  will  not  permit  Ihim  to  think  seri- 
ously of  such  a  thing,  and  he  has  such  a  high 
regard  for  honor  that  he  would  not  deceive  you 
by  carrying  his  attentions  too  far.  He  has  often 
told  me  that  he  would  never  allow  himself  to 
become  closely  associated  with  any  young  lady, 
so  long  as  JBather  and  mother  are  dependent  upon 
(him." 

Evelyn  had  dried  her  tears  and  was  listening 
intently.  There  was  a  new  idea  entering  her 
mind,  gathered  from  what  E  ethyl  had  said. 

After  a  while  she  continued  further:  "You 
know  Evelyn,  that  Tom  has  paid  all  my  expenses 
through  college ;  also  the  expenses  of  my  trip  to 
San  Francisco,  and  over  here.  He  has  always 
bought  all  my  clothes,  too,  and  probably  he  does 
not  know  just  what  to  do,  even  though  he  cares 
for  you  more  than  he  has  shown." 

E  ethyl  could  hardly  finish  the  sentence.  Her 
lip  was  quivering,  and  before  they  were  aware 
of  it,  she  too  was  in  tears.  It  had  dawned  upon 


174  LOOKING  FORWARD 

her  suddenly  that  now  perhaps  she  was  becom- 
ing a  drag  on  Tom,  and  if  he  had  not  been  tied 
down  by  such  large  expenses,  due  to  her,  he 
might  have  acted  differently. 

Now  it  was  Evelyn's  turn  to  sympathize,  and 
comfort  her.  She  put  her  arms  around  Eethyl's 
neck,  and  kissed  her  over  and  over  again.  With 
her  own  handkerchief  she  wiped  the  tears  away, 
and  in  a  minute  more  they  were  both  laughing. 

"Eethyl  dear,"  she  said,  "I  have  some  good 
news  for  you.  I  meant  to  have  told  you  before, 
but  I  was  so  selfish  thinking  of  my  own  troubles. 
I  heard  my  father  talking  over  the  matter  with 
mother  a  few  days  ago.  He  wants  to  secure 
Tom  as  the  president  and  manager  of  a  large 
electrical  company  which  has  just  been  consoli- 
dated. I  heard  him  say  that  the  position  would 
pay  fifteen  thousand  a  year,  and  the  pianty 
would  be  given  a  liberal  amount  of  stock  besides. 
Now  won 't  that  be  fine  ? ' ' 

Eethyl's  eyes  were  now  brilliant,  but  before 
she  could  speak,  Evelyn  said, 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  chance  of  his  re- 
fusing it?"  and  she  listened  anxiously  for  the 
reply. 

"No  indeed,  I  should  think  not,"  said  Eethyl. 
' '  Of  course  I  cannot  tell  exactly  how  Tom  feels, 
but  I  believe  he  will  be  highly  grateful  for  the 
thoughtfulness  of  your  father,  and  the  faith  he 
must  have  in  Tom's  ability." 

The  girls  were  both  feeling  better,  and 
Evelyn  suggested  that  they  put  up  their  book 
and  work,  and  go  out  for  a  walk. 

After  dinner  that  evening,  as  they  sat  in  the 
large  lounging  room,  Evelyn  quietly  talked  to 
her  father  about  the  position  he  had  mentioned 
to  her  mother. 


IN  PARIS  175 

''I  have  not  said  anything  to  him  yet,"  said 
her  father,  "but  I  will  as  soon  as  we  get  to 
Paris." 

"Father,  won't  you  write  him  a  line  about  it 
tonight?  I  feel  sure  it  will  please  him,  and  it 
can  make  no  difference  with  you.  I  wish  you 
would." 

"Well,  if  it  will  please  you  Evelyn,  I  will," 
he  said.  "It  will  give  me  an  opportunity  to 
pay  you  back  for  tihe  fine  house  you  selected  at 
Northington,  and  all  the  happy  hours  I  have 
spent  since  we  moved  there."  And  he  went  to 
the  writing  room  at  once  and  made  Tom  the 
offer  which  Evelyn  had  told  Eethyl  about  that 
afternoon.  And  she  went  to  find  Eethyl  and 
tell  her  what  her  father  was  now  doing.  That 
night  the  girls  went  to  their  room  exceedingly 
happy,  and  Eethyl  even  ventured  to  tell  some  of 
the  things  which  made  her  feel  that  Charlie 
Kingsley  had  more  than  a  friendly  feeling  for 
her. 

The  next  morning  Tom  and  Oharlie  Kingsley 
were  seated  in  the  lobby  of  the  Hotel  Continen- 
tal, Paris.  Charlie  had  tried  hi$  best  to  enliven 
Tom's  spirits,  but  without  avail.  All  the  way 
over  the  Channel,  and  on  the  train  from  Calais, 
he  had  been  sober  as  a  deacon,  and  finally  Char- 
lie gave  it  up  as  a  bad  job.  He  had  made  up 
his  mind  that  Tom  had  some  very  good  reason 
for  feeling  so  glum.  So  he  let  him  alone  with 
his  own  thoughts.  They  hardly  said  two  words 
at  the  breakfast  table,  each  reading  his  paper 
silently. 

After  breakfast  they  had  gone  into  the  lobby 
to  sit  down  for  a  smoke,  and  as  Charlie's  sug- 
gestion to  take  a  gallop  through  the  Bois-de- 
Boulogne,  would  require  no  extended  conversa- 


176  LOOKING  FORWARD 

tion,  and  leave  Tom  time  to  think,  he  considered 
it  a  good  idea,  and  Charlie  arranged  to  have  the 
horses  at  the  hotel  at  ten  o'clock. 

Tom  was  wondering  for  the  hundredth  time 
how  he  could  have  been  so  mean  as  to  cause  that 
beautiful  young  girl  to  feel  so  unhappy.  Never 
since  he  had  known  her,  had  she  appeared  to 
him  in  other  than  the  happiest  kind  of  spirits, 
and  now  he  steps  into  her  life  and  in  a  bungling 
sort  of  fashion  deeply  offends  her  over  a  trivial 
matter.  Why  had  he  not  done  as  she  had  sug- 
gested in  such  a  sweet  manner?  What  harm 
could  it  have  done?  It  would  have  given  her 
happiness,  and  his  own  fogey  ideas  could  have 
been  straightened  out  later.  But  then,  after  all, 
what  about  those  ideas!  Was  he  entirely 
wrong?  Why  should  he  lead  the  girl  on  when 
he  could  not  possibly  think  of  telling  her  of  his 
love,  because  he  (had  others  dependent  upon 
him,  and  he  must  not  think  for  a  moment  of 
shirking  his  responsibilities  to  them.  By  the 
time  he  had  arrived  at  this  concluson  again,  the 
horses  were  at  the  entrance,  and  he  was  no 
nearer  solving  the  problem  before  him. 

The  morning  air  was  bracing,  however,  and 
before  he  had  gone  far,  it  occurred  to  him  that 
the  thing  would  solve  itself  perhaps,  and  he  had 
better  look  on  the  bright  side  of  the  subject. 
Charlie  was  calling  attention  to  the  Triumphal 
Arch  erected  by  Napoleon,  which  they  were  ap- 
proaching. Tom  had  always  enjoyed  reading 
about  Napoleon  and  now  as  they  were  passing 
under  one  of  the  grand  monuments  erected  in 
honor  of  his  famous  victories,  a  feeling  of  deep 
respect  came  over  him.  He  promised  himself 
that  while  he  was  in  Paris,  he  would  not  only 
see  and  learn  all  about  Napoleon  as  Paris  knew 


IN  PABIS  177 

him,  but  would  show  his  great  respect  for  the 
man  as  a  representative  American  should  do. 

With  these  thoughts  passing  through  his  mind 
they  entered  the  woods.  Words  fail  to  describe 
the  beauty,  which  is  everywhere  in  evidence, 
passing  through  this  woodland  section.  Thie 
sun's  rays  playfully  passing  in  and  out  among 
the  trees,  lent  the  finishing  touches  of  light  and 
shadow,  to  a  scene  already  radiant  with  the  rich- 
est varieties  of  delicate  green  shades.  The  road- 
way was  filled  with  magnificent  turn-outs,  in  one 
long  line,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  It  was 
an  inspiring  scene,  and  Tom  found  himself  un- 
consciously straightening  up  in  his  saddle.  An 
exhilarating  feeling  came  over  him,  and  he 
spurred  on  his  horse  to  a  smarter  gallop.  For  a 
mile  or  more  they  rode  in  this  manner,  busily 
watching  the  throng  of  carriages  and  yet  get- 
ting the  greatest  amount  of  pleasure  from  their 
ride.  They  had  been  furnished  with  excep- 
tionally good  mounts,  and  were  keenly  enjoying 
the  sport.  Soon  they  came  to  a  fork  in  the  road, 
when  Tom  taking  the  lead,  turned  to  the  left 
and  cantered  at  an  easy  pace,  along  a  quiet, 
unfrequented  path,  until  they  came  to  another 
turn  in  the  road,  where  the  narrowness  of  the 
way  led  them  to  slow  up,  especially  as  the  sound 
of  hoofs  indicated  that  another  horseman  was 
coming  toward  them.  Tom  got  a  glimpse  of  him 
through  the  brush,  before  he  came  into  the 
open,  and  greatly  to  his  'surprise  recognized 
Sheldon.  He  spurred  up  (his  own  horse,  and 
just  as  Sheldon  was  slowly  coming  around  ^the 
turn,  Tom  grabbed  his  horse 's  bridle  with  a  jerk 
that  nearly  unseated  the  rider. 

"Dismount  at  once/'  Tom  commanded,  as  he 
flung  himself  quickly  from  his  own  horse. 


178  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Charlie  Kingsley  had  been  quick  to  take  in  the 
situation,  and  had  blocked  the  way  effectively 
so  as  to  offer  no  opportunity  for  Sheldon  to  go 
ahead,  and  he  couldn't  possibly  turn  around 
Tom  had  an  iron  grip  on  the  bridle.  Sheldon 
knew  what  that  grip  meant,  as  he  remembered 
the  night  of  the  college  ball. 

"Well,  don't  you  intend  to  obey  me?"  asked 
Tom  in  a  tone-  which  Sheldon  felt  pretty  sure 
meant  business. 

"I  cannot  imagine  Why  you  are  acting  like 
this,"  he  answered,  although  at  the  same  time 
dismounting  as  Tom  had  commanded. 

'  *  I  will  explain  to  you  soon  enough,  you  cur, ' ' 
said  Tom,  looking  him  straight  in  the  eye.  "Tie 
your  horse  to  that  tree  before  I  shake  the  day- 
lights out  of  you." 

There  was  fire  in  Tom's  eye,  and  Sheldon  felt 
the  position  was  very  awkward.  He  tied  his 
horse,  and  as  Tom  gave  his  bridle  to  Charlie,  he 
turned  to  Sheldon  and  suggested  that  they  sit 
down  there  under  the  trees  and  talk  for  a  few 
minutes. 

"Do  you  realize,  Sheldon,"  he  said,  "that  I 
have  evidence  enough  against  you  to  put  you 
behind  the  bars  for  a  long  time  ? ' ' 

"I  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about," 
said  Sheldon. 

"Yes  you  do,  you  scoundrel,  your  face  shows 
you  are  lying.  You  know  well  that  you  tam- 
pered with  my  brakes,  and  then  deliberately 
placed  your  own  car  in  a  most  dangerous  posi- 
tion on  the  old  Holly  Hill  road,  hoping  we 
would  all  get  killed  coming  down  the  hill.  I 
have  absolute  evidence  that  it  was  you." 

'  *  And  further,  Charlie  Kingsley  saw  you  leave 
the  switch,  after  throwing  it,  at  the  Manchester 


IN  PARIS  179 

Station,  when  yon  knew  we  were  coming  through 
the  Manchester  zone  in  Lorrd  Kelton's  Aero- 
plane. ' ' 

' '  You  do  not  dare  do  anything  about  it, ' '  said 
Sheldon.  ' '  How  would  it  look  to  see  your  names 
all  mixed  up  in  the  Paris  and  London  papers, 
including  the  delegate  to  the  International  Elec- 
tric Congress;  also  telling  the  love  story  of 
Evelyn  Tyler,  and — 

1 '  Stop  ! ' '  shouted  Torn,  ' '  not  another  word,  or 
I  '11  lay  you  out  flatter  than  a  pan-cake. ' ' 

"You  cannot  frighten  me,"  said  Sheldon, 
making  a  feint  at  a  defiant  answer,  but  shivering 
in  his  boots  in  a  manner  he  was  unable  to  con- 
ceal, try  as  hard  as  he  could. 

"If  you  are  through  lecturing,  I  will  go." 

' l  Before  you  go, ' '  said  Tom,  ' '  I  warn  you  that 
I  sthall  take  steps  against  you  the  moment  you 
put  foot  on  American  soil,  and  it  will  go  hard 
with  you.  I  further  warn  you  to  keep  out  of 
our  way  during  the  remainder  of  this  trip,  or 
you  will  find  yourself  locked  up  over  here. ' ' 

With  this  statement  he  pointed  the  way  for 
him,  and  told  him  to  go.  Sheldon  walked  over 
to  his  horse,  untied  him,  mounted  and  rode  away, 
without  turning  to  bid  them  good-bye. 

Tom  felt  that  he  had  at  least  experienced  the 
satisfaction  of  telling  Sheldon  what  he  thought 
of  him,  and  warning  him  to  keep  out  of  their 
way.  They  mounted  their  horses,  and  once  more 
enjoyed  keenly  the  exhilarating  effects  which 
the  exercise  and  the  scenes  were  bound  to 
produce  in  connection  with  that  beautiful  morn- 
ing's ride. 

By  twelve-thirty  they  were  back  at  the  hotel, 
and  a  bath  and  change  of  clothing,  made  both  of 
them  feel  fresh  and  strong,  capable  of  doing 


180  LOOKING  FORWARD 

justice  to  the  lunch  set  before  them.  Tom  was 
feeling  more  like  himself,  as  Charlie  noticed 
with  considerable  pleasure,  and  when  lunch  was 
over,  they  went  to  the  lobby  to  finish  their  cigars, 
and  talk  over  plans  for  the  afternoon.  They  had 
hardly  taken  seats,  when  one  of  the  ihall  boys 
handed  a  letter  to  Tom,  which  he  noticed  from 
the  post-mark  was  from  London.  He  tore  off  the 
envelope  little  expecting  that  such  good  news 
was  so  near  to  him.  Unfolding  the  letter  he 
read  Mr.  Tyler's  offer,  and  quick  as  a  flash  it 
dawned  upon  him  that  perhaps  his  problem  was 
now  solved. 

A  hundred  thoughts  passed  through  his  mind 
at  once.  He  would  write  a  letter  to  Evelyn 
and  tell  her  how  sorry  he  was  for  treat- 
ing her  so  unkindly  that  evening  at  the  hotel  in 
London.  No,  that  would  not  do,  because  if  for 
any  reason  this  new  position  should  fail  him, 
then  his  responsibilities  to  father,  mother,  and 
sister,  would  not  permit  his  considering  such 
great  happiness  as  he  thought  lay  before  him. 
Well,  at  least,  he  ought  to  telegraph  Mr.  Tyler, 
how  thankful  he  felt  for  the  kind  consideration 
of  his  name,  and  he  started  for  a  telegraph 
blank ;  but  Mr.  Tyler  had  requested  him  to  wait 
until  he  arrived  in  Berlin  when  they  would  talk 
the  matter  over.  After  all,  there  was  nothing 
to  do,  but  keep  cool.  Why  was  he  so  excited? 
Was  it  the  position  which  had  caused  every 
nerve  in  his  body  to  tingle?  No,  he  felt  con- 
fident he  could  handle  that.  Well,  then,  what 
was  it  ?  Why  not  admit  frankly  to  himself  that 
before  he  had  hardly  finished  reading  the  letter, 
he  was  thinking  of  Evelyn,  and  the  changed 
conditions  which  would  permit  him  to  earnestly 
strive  to  win  her  love ! 


IN  PAiRIS  181 

Poor  Tom,  there  were  no  genii  to  whisper 
quietly  in  his  ear  that  Evelyn  dearly  loved  him, 
and  had  requested  her  father  to  write  him 
several  days  sooner  than  he  otherwise  would, 
because  she  cared  for  him,  and  desired  to  see 
him  prosper. 

While  all  of  these  thoughts  were  running 
through  his  mind,  Charlie  Kingsley  had  been 
waiting  around,  anxious  to  talk  with  Tom  on  a 
serious  matter,  concerning  Eethyl  and  himself, 
but  did  not  wish  to  speak  as  long  as  Tom  was 
in  such  a  mood  as  the  past  twenty-four  hours 
had  indicated.  They  had  an  appointment  at 
three  o'clock  at  the  Louvre  Gallery,  and  as  they 
passed  out  of  the  hotel,  Oharlie  thought  it  wise 
to  wait  until  evening,  and  then  have  a  good 
long  talk  with  Tom  on  the  subject  so  dear  to  his 
heart,  and  which  he  had  already  delayed 
mentioning  longer  than  he  should,  because,  as 
stated,  Tom's  mood  was  not  altogether  suitable, 
in  Charlie's  opinion,  for  a  nice,  satisfactory 
talk. 

So  they  walked  over  through  the  park,  past 
the  museum,  and  cutting  diagonally  across  the 
pavement,  entered  the  gallery  at  the  side  door. 

They  sent  their  cards  up  to  Prof.  Tournier, 
with  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  W. 
D  'A.  Rhine,  a  prominent  Illuminating  Engineer 
in  the  States.  Prof.  Tournier  came  down  to  the 
reception  room  and  extended  to  them  a  most 
cordial  greeting. 

"I  have  most  pleasant  recollections  of  Prof. 
Rhine,"  he  said,  in  good  English.  "He  was 
here  in  Paris  considerably  during  1907  and 
1908.  We  saw  a  great  deal  of  each  other,  and 
I  enjoyed  his  acquaintance  very,  very  much. 
He  was  the  most  brilliant  engineer  on  illumina- 


182  LOOKING  FORWARD 

tion  I  have  ever  met.  Excuse  me,  gentlemen, 
but  come  up  to  my  office.  We  will  take  the 
elevator. ' ' 

For  a  short  time  they  talked  over  the  general 
subject  of  art,  and  its  dependency  upon 
artificial  illumination  for  proper  exhibition. 
Prof.  Tournier  was  not  only  a  painter  of  rare 
fame,  but  had  made  a  special  study  for  years, 
of  the  most  skilful  exhibition  of  the  choice 
paintings  in  the  Louvre.  He  was  a  Director  of 
the  Gallery  Association,  and  Manager  of  all 
Exhibits.  It  was  fortunate  therefore,  that  Tom 
and  Charlie  could  meet  him  personally. 

"I  suggest,  Monsieur  Appleton,"  he  said, 
* '  that  you  let  me  take  you  into  the  most  impor- 
tant salons  where  the  actual  results  of  our 
illuminating  engineering  plans  can  be  noted  by 
you  to  better  advantage." 

"By  all  means,"  said  Tom,  "we  shall  be 
pleased  to  follow  you.  Let  me  say  that  your 
reputation,  for  skilful  exhibition  of  paintings 
is  well  known  in  America,  and  we  have  looked 
forward  with  much  pleasure  to  the  actual 
inspecton,  and  a  conversation  with  you  on  the 
subject." 

They  had  just  entered  the  salon  exhibiting 
masterpieces  from  the  Italian  School.  The  dis- 
play which  met  their  gaze  was  at  once  recognized 
by  Tom  as  the  result  of  Prof.  Rhine's  engineer- 
ing. A  skilful  engineer,  well  versed  in  light- 
ing, can,  at  a  glance,  recognize  the  work  of  a 
master  hand  in  illumination  distribution,  in  the 
same  manner  as  an  artist  recognizes  the  skill 
of  a  master  in  some  famous  painting,  and  can 
tell  by  some  characteristic  of  coloring,  or 
peculiar  selection  of  colors,  that  it  is  the  work 
of  Correggio  or  Tintoretto,  or  Raphael,  without 


IN  PARIS  183 

being  advised  of  the  artist's  name.  The  room 
was  not  only  filled  with  a  soft,  even  distribution 
of  ligiht,  equal  in  quantity,  and  uniform  in 
quality,  in  all  parts  of  the  room,  but  there  was 
beauty  and  brilliancy  in  the  effect.  The  colors 
seemed  to  stand  out  in  the  paintings  as  the 
artist  had  intended  they  should. 

"This  method  of  engineering  is  carried  out 
all  over  the  gallery.  It  is  known  as  the  D  iff  user 
Ceiling  System.  Very  high  efficiency  arcs  are 
used,  and  you  will  note  there  are  no  evidences 
of  the  physical  parts  of  the  lamps  in  sight. ' ' 

"It  is  magnificent;  perfect,"  said  Charlie. 
"I  have  never  seen  light  diffused  more  thor- 
oughly. ' ' 

While  inspecting  some  of  the  paintings  in 
detail,  Prof.  Tournier  told  them  the  history  of 
their  study  of  illuminating  engineering  and  the 
cause  of  their  adopting  electricity  for  artificially 
illuminating  the  gallery.  In  a  most  interesting 
manner  he  described  the  memorable  meeting  of 
the  Grand  Illumination  Conference  held  in 
Paris  early  in  the  year  1907.  He  said: 

* '  The  great  satisfaction  whidh  the  new  electric 
illuminating  methods  had  produced  in  the  minds 
of  the  Directors  at  the  National  Gallery  in 
London,  and  the  many  references  in  the 
magazines  and  art  papers,  led  to  a  long  dis- 
cussion, and  energetic  agitation,  regarding  the 
poor  lighting  arrangements  in  St.  Paul's,  Lon~ 
don,  the  Cathedral  at  Cologne  and  Milan,  St. 
Mark's  at  Venice,  the  Florence  Cathedral,  St. 
Peter 's  at  Rome,  and  the  Louvre  Gallery.  Many 
tourists  criticised  all  these  edifices  because  they 
were  so  poorly  exhibited.  They  claimed  that  it 
was  a  pity  to  lose  the  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
world-renowned  paintings,  architecture,  and 


184  LOOKING  FORWARD 

sculptural  works  to  best  advantage,  because 
they  were  exhibited  in  places  improperly 
illuminated. 

"Architects,  of  some  note,  had  deplored  their 
inability  to  study  certain  architectural  features 
of  the  Cathedrals,  because  the  light  was  so  poor 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  they  could  see  even 
the  design,  to  say  nothing  of  studying  the 
details. 

"A  magazine  article  in  1906  by  a  prominent 
sculptor,  mentioned  that  the  guide  who  showed 
him  through  one  of  the  old  Cathedrals  in  a 
large  city  in  Italy,  used  a  candle  in  order  to 
enable  him  to  see  details,  which  should  have 
been  properly  exhibited,  because  of  the  great 
interest  and  value  attached  to  the  works  of  the 
old  masters. 

"Massive  doors,  representing  the  highest 
degree  of  skill  in  bronze  casting  attained  any- 
where in  the  world,  at  any  time  in  all  history, 
magnificent  in  general,  beautiful  in  detail,  which 
might  be  studied  for  hours  with  profit  and  plea- 
sure, were  exhibited  by  candle  light. 

"A  prominent  artist  wrote  an  article  in 
regard  to  the  proper  exhibition  of  paintings, 
criticising  severely  a  prominent  old  palace  in 
Venice,  where  wall  paintings  of  rare  value,  by 
no  other  brush  than  that  of  Paul  Veronese, 
were  exhibited  in  such  a  manner  as  to  warrant 
exceedingly  unfavorable  comment  on  the  man- 
agement. 

"One  grand  old  picture,  famous  througfhout 
the  world,  for  its  size  and  the  number  of  figures 
represented,  was  exhibited  by  means  of  small 
tin  blinders  to  put  over  the  eyes,  because  the 
light  was  so  poorly  distributed  in  the  room. 

"The  Managing  Directors  of  the  Louvre,  at 


IN  PARIS  185 

Paris,  had  shortly  followed  the  plan  of  the  Lon- 
don National  Gallery  in  respect  to  illumination, 
and  while  the  many  visitors  from  far  and  wide 
were  coming  to  see  the  Louvre  re-arranged,  a 
conference  was  called  to  meet  in  Paris,  including 
Directors  from  all  the  prominent  galleries  and 
Cathedrals  in  Europe.  The  very  best  Illuminat- 
ing Engineers  in  the  world  were  invited  to 
attend;  and  together  with  artists  of  fame, 
Cathedral  and  gallery  directors,  the  important 
subject  of  illumination  was  discussed. 

"During  the  first  part  of  the  conference,  it 
was  conclusively  shown  that  the  use  of  candles 
in  Cathedrals  near  the  fine  old  paintings,  had 
had  a  most  injurious  effect  on  the  colors.  One 
striking  illustration  was  given  by  a  Venetian 
delegate,  who  said  that  a  very  valuable  original 
painting  by  Titian  had  been  nearly  destroyed 
because  it  had  been  so  long  subjected  to  the 
injurious  fumes  and  smoke  from  candles. 

1  'It  was  likewise  shown  conclusively  that  it 
was  useless  to  consider  illuminating  such  places 
by  gas  light. 

"The  second  day  the  most  enthusiastic 
speeches  were  made  in  favor  of  the  general  plan 
of  electric  illuminating  for  the  most  effective 
exhibition  of  paintings.  The  reason  for  using 
electric  lights,  instead  of  candles  or  gas,  was 
naturally  in  connection  with  the  preservation  of 
the  colors,  but  the  engineers  showed,  by  careful 
explanation  and  practical  demonstration,  that 
the  colors  were  beautifully  and  accurately 
reproduced  by  the  electric  arc,  so  that  the  eye 
could  perceive  and  appreciate  the  artist's  real 
intentions  in  utilizing  certain  colors.  On  the 
contrary,  it  was  shown  that  the  'artist's  design 
was  entirely  misconstrued  and  distorted,  when 
exhibited  by  gas  or  candle  light. 


186  LOOKING  FORWARD 

''A  delegate  from  Dresden  said  that  they  had 
heard  of  the  improvement  in  illuminating  the 
London  Gallery,  and  they  had  equipped  two 
small  rooms  in  the  Dresden  Gallery  for  the 
proper  exhibition  of  Raphael's  Sistine  Madonna 
and  Correggio  's  Holy  Night.  He  said  the  results 
were  more  pleasing  than  they  had  hoped,  and 
their  efforts  had  been  greatly  appreciated  by 
many  tourists,  who  were  short  of  time,  and  had 
been  able  to  visit  the  gallery  at  night,  to  their 
entire  satisfaction.  They  were  simply  anxious 
to  see  these  two  wonderful  paintings,  and  did 
not  care  to  take  time  to  see  all  the  gallery.  In 
this  way  they  were  able  to  save  a  day  in  their 
programme,  spending  more  time  in  Berlin  and 
catching  the  steamer  at  Hamburg  for  New  York. 

"It  was  shortly  after  this  conference,"  he 
continued,  "that  Prof.  Rhine  commenced  active 
engineering  over  here,  and  his  results  in  the 
cathedrals,  galleries,  and  museums,  have  made 
him  famous  throughout  all  Europe." 

Tom  thanked  him  kindly  for  speaking  in 
such  high  praise  of  one  of  his  own  countrymen. 
Rhine  had  been  a  friend  of  many  years'  stand- 
ing, was  a  hard  worker,  and  deserving  of  all  the 
praise  bestowed  upon  him. 

The  hour  was  getting  late,  when  they 
expressed  their  hearty  appreciation  to  Prof. 
Tournier  for  his  kind  personal  attention,  and 
returned  to  the  hotel. 

In  the  early  evening,  after  they  had  left  the 
dining-room,  and  were  smoking  their  cigars, 
Charlie  told  Tom  all  about  his  feelings  for  his 
sister  Eethyl,  and  asked  his  consent  to  speak 
to  her  on  the  subject.  He  told  him  that  he  felt 
almost  sure  Eethyl  loved  him,  and  if  he  had 
Tom 's  permission  he  would  win  her  for  his  wife. 


IN  PARIS  187 

Tom  rose,  and  grasping  Charlie  by, the  hand, 
said,  "You  have  my  permission  Charlie,  by  all 
means,  and  my  best  wishes.  No  one  could  ask 
for  a  better  brother  than  you  would  be  to  me, 
and  I  do  not  know  of  anybody  I  would  prefer 
to  have  my  sister  marry,  than  you.  I  believe 
she  loves  you,  and  that  she  will  answer  you 
'yes." 

As  Tom  had  a  report  to  make  out,  he  left 
Charlie  writing  to  Eethyl  Appleton,  whom  he 
thought  he  could  now  call  his  sweetheart  in  ear- 
nest. And  he  said  in  his  letter  that  he  had 
something  to  tell  her  when  they  met  in  Berlin, 
which  would  make  him  intensely  happy,  and  he 
hoped  would  make  her  not  less  so. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

EVENING    WITH    EMPEROR. 

Two  weeks  later,  the  entire  party  were  together 
once  more  in  Berlin,  the  electrical  city  of  Ger- 
many. The  city  had  rightfully  earned  this 
title.  The  large  Ellegemeine  Electrical  Works 
had  been  wonderfully  aggressive  with  its  large 
manufacturing  plants,  not  only  producing  all 
kinds  of  appliances  to  be  operated  by  electricity, 
but  likewise  educating  the  people  by  various 
methods  to  use  such  devices  in  their  homes,  their 
factories  and  in  connection  with  their  mercantile 
life. 

As  early  as  1903  they  were  developing  and 
manufacturing  electric  heating  devices.  In  1906 
they  were  the  leaders  of  the  world  in  electric 
motor  applications,  and  in  1907  it  was  "nip  and 
tuck"  as  to  whether  Germany  or  the  United 
States  was  most  advanced  in  the  incandescent 
lighting  industry. 

Therefore  when  this  party  arrived  in  Berlin, 
and  it  was  known  that  the  American  delegate 
to  the  International  Electrical  Congress  was  at 
the  hotel  Bristol,  the  newspapers  were  filled  with 
items  regarding  electrical  matters,  and  Mr. 
Tyler  was  besieged  with  visits  from  newspaper 
reporters. 

Tom  and  Charlie  had  arrived  in  Berlin  several 
days  before  the  others.  The  negotiations  which 
Tom  had  been  conducting  for  his  Company  had 

188 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR          189 

been  completed,  and  he  had  cabled  to  Manager 
Hammond  in  Millville  the  results. 

One  morning  he  was  sitting  in  the  office  of 
Herr  Dunkel,  one  of  the  naval  officers  of  the 
German  government.  He  had  met  this  gentle- 
man before  in  the  States,  and  had  enjoyed  his 
acquaintance.  Their  associations  were  such 
therefore  that  he  talked  freely  about  Tom's 
friends  in  the  Glendale  Company  at  Millville. 

He  had  just  started  talking  about  their  mutual 
friend  Caryl  D.  Hastings,  and  was  saying. 

"I  admired  Mr.  Hastings  very  much  indeed. 
I  believe  him  to  be  one  of  the  most  brilliant  of 
the  electrical  men  in  the  States.  His  work  with 
the  government  in  connection  with  sub-marine 
electrical  matters  has  given  him  a  very  high 
standing  in  Germany." 

"It  pleases  me,"  said  Tom  "to  hear  you 
praise  Mr.  Hastings'  ability  as  an  engineer.  I 
have  known  him  personally  for  many  years,  and 
have  a  high  regard  for  him.  Many  of  his  ideas 
have  been  adopted,  and  the  industry  has  been 
extended,  due  in  no  small  degree,  to  his  earnest 
and  able  efforts.  Do  you  remember  meeting 
Henry  L.  Darrity  when  you  were  in  the  States, 
Herr  DunkeU" 

"Yes,  indeed.  It  was  the  year  after  the  Cin- 
cinnati Convention.  Almost  everybody  I  met 
told  me  of  the  aggressive  manner  in  which  Mr. 
Darrity  handled  the  affairs  of  the  National  As- 
sociation as  its  President.  To  me  he  appeared 
to  be  wonderfully  well  posted  on  gas  interests  as 
well  as  electrical  matters.  I  heard  many  promi- 
nent men  give  it  as  their  opinion  that  Henry  L. 
Darrity  was  the  most  aggressive  and  the  ablest 
President  the  Association  had  elected  for  many 
years. ' ' 


190  LOOKING  FORWARD 

With  a  few  more  general  comments  Tom  bade 
good  morning  to  Herr  Dunkel,  and  upon  reach- 
ing the  hotel  learned  that  the  Pitch  family,  from 
Johnsonville,  Michigan,  had  arrived :  Mr.  W. 
A.  Fitch,  his  wife,  and  two  daughters. 
Tom  Appleton  was  much  pleased  to  meet  them, 
as  he  had  known  Mr.  Fitch  for  many  years,  and 
greatly  admired  him  for  the  aggressiveness  he 
had  always  exhibited  in  handling  the  electric 
lighting,  heating,  and  power  transactions 
throughout  the  many  cities  and  towns  in  Michi- 
gan, where  they  were  continually  prospecting  for 
business. 

Tom  looked  them  up  immediately,  and  intro- 
duced his  friends  and  sisters,  who  were  delighted 
to  again  meet  people  from  the  States,  especially 
Tom's  friends.  He  planned  that  they  would  all 
take  dinner  and  spend  the  evening  together.  Ac- 
cordingly about  seven-thirty  that  evening  they 
were  all  seated  at  one  large  table  in  the  dining- 
room.  The  talk  had  been  more  or  less  general. 

"An  improvement  has  been  put  into  effect 
throughout  Italy,  for  which  all  tourists  should 
be  grateful.  It  is  in  the  form  of  electrozonic 
water  in  the  hotels,  and  on  the  trains. 

"Physicians  of  high  reputation,  have  made 
public  statements  setting  at  rest  all  question  as 
to  the  character  of  the  water.  Every  good 
hotel  now  uses  an  electrozonator  through  which 
all  drinking  water  passes." 

"When  we  were  over  here  before,"  said  Mr. 
Fitch,  "I  figured  from  $1.60  to  $2.00  per  day 
for  drinking  water  alone.  We  never  would 
drink  wine  or  beer,  and  had  been  advised  not 
to  drink  water  on  the  continent. 

We,  therefore,  never  touched  anything  but 
mineral  water,  all  the  while  we  were  here.  It 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        191 

cost  us  from  $75  to  $100  for  water  on  the  trip, 
while  this  trip  has  not  cost  us  a  cent  for  water, 
due  to  the  electrozonization  of  the  water.  How 
much  more  pleasant  it  is,  to  spend  $75  or  $100 
in  souvenirs,  which  are  always  bringing  back 
tender  memories  of  happy  days  abroad ! ' ' 

Mr.  Fitch  continued,  "The  ladies  feel  that 
one  of  the  greatest  improvements  in  the  trains, 
is  in  connection  with  the  toilet  rooms.  Their 
last  experience  over  here  was  something  awful. 
The  very  best  train  system  otherwise,  was  weak 
in  respect  to  the  toilet  rooms.  They  were  not 
kept  clean,  and  it  was  disgusting  to  expect  any- 
body, man  or  woman,  to  enter  such  a  place. 
Finally,  in  1906,  the  magazines,  called  the  mat- 
ter so  forcibly  to  the  attention  of  the  rail- 
road officials,  that  much  better  attention  was 
given  to  the  subject.  It  was  a  very  easy  matter 
to  remedy.  All  the  toilet  rooms  in  the  Pullman 
cars  in  America  are  kept  as  neat  and  clean  as 
our  own  residence  bath  rooms.  There  is  no 
difficulty  whatever  connected  with  the  idea.  The 
difference  between  one  way  and  the  other,  is 
proper  attention  vs.  no  attention.  It  will  be 
appreciated  that  with  brand  new  cars  such  as 
we  saw  on  the  Paris  and  Berlin  Electric  Express 
train,  and  with  notices  about  such  improve- 
ments as  electrozonized  water,  electric  dining 
car,  the  new  telharmonium  on  board  train, 
and  the  electric  motor  applications  for  raising 
windows,  handling  baggage,  etc.,  the  railroad 
company  could  not  very  well  afford  to  have 
unsanitary  toilet  rooms  on  its  cars." 

"Did  you  stop  long  at  Rome?"  asked  Evelyn. 

"We  were  there  about  a  week,"  replied  Mr. 
Fitch. 

"Of  course  you  went  through  St.  Peters?" 


192  LOOKING  FORWAKD 


chimed  in  Mrs.  Fitch,  and  thank 
goodness,  they  have  an  elevator  for  reaching  the 
dome.  The  last  time  we  were  there  Mr.  Fitch 
and  I  walked  up  and  down  1260  steps  to  see  that 
dome.  We  were  both  so  provoked  over  the  mat- 
ter that  we  did  not  enjoy  our  visit  to  St.  Peters  ' 
a  bit." 

1  i  But  that  is  all  changed  now,  '  '  exclaimed  Mr. 
Fitch.  "They  have  two  very  large  elevators, 
fully  capable  of  accommodating  all  the  tourists 
who  visit  the  Cathedral.  The  building  is 
beautifully  illuminated,  also,  with  electric 
lights,"  he  said. 

"That  is  very  interesting,"  said  Mr.  Tyler, 
"how  was  it  brought  about?" 

"I  understand,"  said  Mr.  Fitch,  "that  a  few 
of  the  most  prominent  influential  architects, 
sculptors,  and  artists  formed  themselves  into  a 
committee  to  fully  investigate  the  matter.  There 
had  been  considerable  criticism  from  all  quarters 
to  the  effect  that  the  Cathedral  should  be  open 
at  least  one  evening  in  the  week,  for  the  benefit 
of  the  poorer  classes.  To  carry  out  this  plan  it 
was  necessary  to  illuminate  properly.  Much 
agitation  was  going  on  also  in  regard  to  the 
London  and  Paris  Art  Galleries.  Such  articles 
attracted  great  attention  at  Borne  because  of 
the  many  rare,  famous  and  valuable  paintings 
which  are  there  on  exhibition.  This  Committee 
made  a  full  investigation  and  then  called  on  the 
Pope  and  set  the  matter  before  him.  It  was  not 
long  after,  that  the  elevators  were  installed  and 
the  Cathedral  was  beautifully  illuminated." 

"I  understand  you  were  at  Milan,  also.  How 
did  you  find  the  Cathedral  there?" 

"Most  beautiful  in  every  respect,"  replied 
Mr.  Fitch.  "Thoroughly  illuminated,  and  an 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        193 

electric  elevator  instead  of  the  noted  149  steps 
to  climb  up  to  the  roof  and  down  again. " 

"Mr.  Fitch,  did  you  notice  about  the  heating 
systems  of  the  art  galleries  and  cathedrals  in 
Italy?  When  I  was  over  some  years  ago  they 
were  inclined  to  be  rather  damp  and  cheerless. ' ' 

"As  you  know/'  he  replied,  "the  water 
powers  throughout  Italy  are  numerous,  and 
particularly  since  1906  they  have  been  developed 
with  remarkable  rapidity.  Therefore  power  is 
very  cheap,  and  the  rate  is  so  low  that  all 
factories,  churches  and  public  buildings  are 
heated  by  electricity.  The  requirements  in 
cathedrals  are  just  suited  to  the  electric  system. ' ' 

That  evening  they  all  spent  together  in  the 
lounging  room.  The  telharmonium  furnished 
music  of  a  pleasing  character.  Mr.  Tyler  and 
Mr.  Fitch  talked  at  length  over  the  price  situa- 
tion in  connection  with  the  sale  of  electricity. 
Mrs.  Tyler  and  Mrs.  Fitch  talked  about  matters 
of  common  interest,  while  the  four  girls  with 
Tom  and  Charlie  told  stories,  laughed  and  joked, 
talked  of  their  college  days,  the  good  time  at 
school,  the  ocean  voyage  with  its  many  incidents, 
the  air  ship  excursion  with  its  thrilling 
experience,  and  then  every  little  while  they 
would  listen  through  the  telephones  to  the  funny 
songs  and  jokes  at  the  various  theatres.  The 
evening  passed  before  they  were  aware  of  it, 
and  they  were  sorry,  as  the  Fitch  family  had  to 
leave  for  Hamburg,  early  the  next  morning. 

It  had  seemed  awfully  good  to  meet  friends 
from  home,  over  there  amongst  so  many  stran- 
gers, and  When  they  bid  each  other  good  night 
and  good-bye,  it  was  with  deep  regrets. 

The  next  day  was  an  exceedingly  busy  one. 
Emperor  William  had  extended  an  invitation 


194  LOOKING  FORWARD 

to  the  delegate  of  the  International  Congress 
with  his  wife  and  party  to  dine  with  the  Royal 
Family  at  Potsdam  that  evening.  The  Emperor 
had  always  taken  a  very  pronounced  interest  in 
electrical  matters.  In  fact  it  was,  in  no  little 
part  due  to  his  personal  efforts  that  Germany 
ranked  so  exceptionally  high,  in  electrical 
developments,  with  the  other  nations  of  the 
earth. 

It  was  well  known  that  when  the  Crown 
Prince  visited  America  in  1905,  he  took  a  special 
interest  in  electrical  developments.  It  was  not 
many  years  after  that  his  palace  at  Potsdam 
was  equipped  with  the  electric  heating  system, 
and  the  old  fashioned  stoves  were  abandoned. 

It  was  also  well  known  that  the  Emperor  had 
ways  and  means  of  ascertaining  the  progress, 
made  in  the  United  States  during  the  year  1906, 
in  connection  with  electric  household  utensils, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  to  equip  his  palace  with 
all  the  convenient  devices  which  the  Berlin 
factories  were  producing. 

When  the  invitation  was  first  received,  Tom 
and  Charlie  were  a  little  inclined  to  back  out, 
but  Mr.  Tyler  was  anxious  to  have  them  go,  as 
a  matter  of  respect  for  the  invitation  of  the 
Emperor,  if  for  no  other  reason.  They  were 
exceedingly  glad  that  they  did,  for  they  had  a 
most  enjoyable  time. 

Tihe  Emperor  was  good  enough  to  make  it  a 
very  informal  affair,  and  he  made  everyone  feel 
entirely  at  ease  from  the  moment  they  arrived. 

Prince  Henry  and  the  Princess  were  there  at 
the  Palace  to  receive  them,  and  in  a  most  cordial 
manner  extended  a  welcome  to  the  distinguished 
Americans  in  behalf  of  the  German  people.  A 
general  conversation  ensued,  interrupted  shortly 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        195 

after  by  the  entrance  of  the  Emperor  and 
Empress.  After  the  formal  introduction,  the 
Emperor  expressed  great  pleasure  in  meeting 
the  delegate  to  the  International  Congress,  and 
conversed  with  him  until  dinner  was  announced. 
The  Emperor  offered  his  arm  to  Mrs.  Tyler,  and 
they  took  the  lead  toward  the  dining  room.  The 
Empress  followed  with  Mr.  Tyler,  and  Prince 
Henry  offered  his  arm  to  Evelyn.  The  Princess 
went  in  with  Tom,  while  Charlie  and  E ethyl 
brought  up  the  rear,  as  happy  as  any  two  living 
mortals  could  possibly  be. 

The  Emperor  opened  the  conversation  with 
a  most  informal  statement  to  the  effect  that  the 
dinner  about  to  be  served  was  cooked  entirely 
by  electricity. 

"Isn't  it  surprising  how  enormously  the 
industry  has  grown?"  he  remarked. 

"Rather,  considering  that  hardly  twenty-five 
years  ago,  almost  nothing  was  known  about  it 
at  all,"  replied  Mr.  Tyler. 

"I  hope  Mrs.  Tyler  we  shall  not  tire  you  with 
our  shop  talk,"  the  Emperor  said. 

"No  indeed,  it  has  been  a  part  of  my  life  for 
many  years,  in  fact  ever  since  my  daughter  was 
a  little  girl.  I  never  tire  of  listening  or  talking 
on  the  subject." 

* '  I  was  greatly  interested  in  the  lead  taken  by 
the  American  Colleges  for  girls  in  establishing 
an  electrical  course.  I  think  that  Germany  was 
second  to  take  up  the  innovation.  How  reason- 
able it  seems  to  us  now,  when  we  have  electric 
household  utensils  surrounding  us  on  every  side. 
Yes,  even  my  stable  is  equipped  with  them.  It 
is  very  desirable  that  our  girls  and  women 
should  know  how  to  cook  and  do  housework. 
Their  training  in  college  teaches  them  all  things 


196  LOOKING  FORWARD 

about  the  care  of  a  house,  and  it  is  a  splendid 
idea." 

Prince  Henry  and  the  Princess  had  been  rela- 
ting some  of  their  experiences  in  connection  with 
air-ships.  They  were  very  greatly  interested  in 
the  trip  with  Lord  Kelton  as  Evelyn  related 
it;  in  fact  so  much  so,  that  the  conversation 
became  general,  and  Emperor  William  wanted 
to  hear  all  about  it.  He  had  not  known  that 
such  great  speeds  could  be  attained. 

"Does  Lord  Kelton  seem  to  think  that  the 
electric  air-ship  will  be  the  most  practicable  of 
all  the  various  forms?"  he  asked.  • 

"I  think  he  does,"  answered  Tom.  "He 
admits  it  is  expensive  to  manufacture,  and  will, 
be  until  quantities  can  be  produced.  The  operat-' 
ing  cost  is  heavy  now,  but  when  all  electrical 
stations  establish  their  sending  equipment,  the 
cost  of  navigation  will  be  small.  At  present 
he  is  confined  to  twelve  zones,  or  an  area  of  six 
hundred  square  miles." 

"My!"  exclaimed  the  Empress  who  had 
become  quite  excited  over  the  discussion.  ' '  How 
can  they  tell  when  they  have  reached  the  outer 
edge  of  the  electrical  zone?  Perhaps  the  air 
changes  its  resistance  as  the  ship  approaches  an 
unelectrified  zone,  and  rings  an  emergency  bell. ' ' 

"Yes,"  answered  Tom,  somewhat  surprised, 
at  the  knowledge  which  the  Empress  exhibited 
on  the  subject,  "and  if  the  current  is  thrown 
off  entirely,  for  any  reason,  batteries  are 
automatically  cut  in,  which  supply  sufficient 
current  to  allow  the  car  to  move  at  a  slow 
speed  on  the  level  and  properly  descend  without 
diving. ' ' 

The  Emperor  then  addressed  Tom  personally, 
"Mr.  Appleton,  I  feel  as  if  I  knew  you  well," 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        197 

he  said.  "Some  years  ago  I  believe  you  were 
at  the  head  of  the  Testing  Department  in  the 
large  Glendale  Electric  Works  at  Millville, 
N.  Y." 

Tom  said  he  was. 

"Well,"  continued  the  Emperor,  "I  took  a 
great  interest  in  a  young  man  who  spent  two 
years  there,  and  he  was  always  writing  to  me 
something  about  Tom  Appleton,  the  head  of  the 
test.  If  all  the  boys  thought  as  much  of  you  as 
my  young  friend,  you  are  to  be  congratulated." 

The  Emperor 's  story  pleased  Tom  a  good  deal. 
Mr.  Tyler  was  taking  it  all  in,  and  poor  Evelyn 
could  hardly  restrain  herself  from  telling  the 
Emperor  a  great  deal  more  that  she  knew  about 
Tom,  but  she  had  to  content  herself  with  a  very 
pleased  expression,  and  glancing  quickly  over 
to  Tom,  she  found  that  he  was  looking  straight 
at  her,  and  they  both  blushed  like  a  couple  of 
country  school  girls. 

Tom  did  not  have  an  opportunity  to  reply,  as 
they  had  all  risen  and  were  following  the 
Emperor  and  Mrs.  Tyler  to  the  coffee  room. 

They  remained  at  the  Palace  for  the  better 
part  of  the  evening,  and  the  Emperor  took 
occasion  to  talk  at  length  with  Mr.  Tyler  in 
regard  to  the  electrical  industry  in  general.  He 
seemed  to  enjoy  talking  about  the  large  con- 
solidation of  interests  in  America,  and  asked 
Mr.  Tyler  a  good  many  questions  pertaining  to 
this  subject.  Naturally  the  conversation  drifted 
to  the  prominent  men  connected  with  the 
industry  since  its  early  commercial  history. 
It  was  remarkable  that  he  possessed  such 
detailed  knowledge  of  men  and  events  in 
America  covering  a  period  of  many  years.  He 
paid  a  high  compliment  to  the  officers  of  the 


198  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Association  of  Edmunds  Illuminating  Companies 
and  emphasized  how  aggressively  they  had  taken 
up  and  followed  new  ideas  regarding  electricity. 
He  said  the  speech  of  J.  W.  Loeb  at  Saratoga, 
some  years  ago,  was  a  masterpiece,  and  he  al- 
ways thought  of  it  when  talking  of  the  progress 
of  electricity. 

"I  personally  met  J.  McCallan  and  Louis 
Fernaldson  when  they  were  over,  two  years  ago. 
Charming  fellows,  and  exceedingly  clever/'  con- 
tinued the  Emperor. 

The  Prince  had  been  listening  intently,  and  as 
Emperor  William  finished,  he  said. 

"When  I  was  in  the  States  I  had  a  very  inter- 
esting talk  with  President  Roosevelt.  He  told  me 
that  he  took  the  keenest  interest  in  electrical  sub- 
jects. When  Governor  of  New  York  State  he 
had  been  entertained  one  evening  at  Millville  by 
J.  R.  Lovering  an  executive  of  the  Glendale  Elec- 
trical Company.  He  emphasized  the  remark- 
able character  and  ability  of  the  man,  and  his 
popularity  among  the  thousands  of  men  under 
his  direction."  The  Prince  felt  that  with  such 
a  man  as  a  leader  he  could  understand  the  phe- 
nomenal progress  of  electricity  in  1912. 

"I  believe  I  appreciate  just  what  President 
Roosevelt  meant,"  said  the  Emperor,  "because 
I  have  personally  met  General  Eugene  Grafton  a 
man,  regarding  whom  the  President  could  apply 
the  same  high  compliment.  I  know  him  well. 
For  many  years  he  has  spent  at  least  a  month  in 
Germany,  each  year,  and  I  will  never  forget  the 
interesting  evenings  we  have  spent  together.  Dr. 
Rathnung,  whose  opinion  is  highly  rated,  here  in 
Berlin,  told  me  that  he  thought  General  Grafton 
had  done  more  in  behalf  of  the  rapid  develop- 
ment of  the  electric  street  railway,  in  the 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        199 

States,  than  any  other  one  individual." 

"In  the  States,"  said  Mr.  Tyler,  "we  also 
have  a  very  strong  admiration  for  Dr.  Rathnung 
Surely  he  deserves  all  the  praises  which  your 
good  people  have  showered  upon  him.  Probably 
no  other  man  has  done  more  for  the  electrical 
industry  than  has  Dr.  Rathnung." 

"All  the  people  of  Germany  know  about  his 
work  and  they  admire  and  love  him  for  his  ac- 
complishments, "  said  the  Emperor. 

The  Prince  then  recalled  an  evening  spent 
with  Andrew  Carnelty,  when  he  talked  in  the 
most  enthusiastic  manner  regarding  the  future 
of  electricity. 

"In  all  my  trips,"  said  the  Prince,  "I  cannot 
remember  of  a  more  interesting  evening.  He 
told  me  of  the  steel  mill  equipments,  the  won- 
derful developments  of  electrical  devices  for 
handling  machinery,  transferring  red  hot  ingots 
and  bars  of  steel,  from  one  end  of  the  roam  to 
the  other.  The  day  after,  I  saw  the  operations, 
and  I  was  impressed  beyond  expression.  Mr. 
Carnelty  was  with  me  in  person,  and  he  said: 
"Electricity  is  a  wonderful  agent.  I  know  it 
has  helped  the  steel  industry  wonderfully  to 
make  remarkable  progress  in  the  processes  of 
steel  manufacture. ' ' 

"Your  industry  is  to  be  congratulated  upon 
having  such  a  powerful  advocate  as  Mr.  Car- 
nelty. His  large  contribution  of  money  toward 
the  erection  of  the  Engineers  building  in  New 
York  City  was  further  evidence  of  the  great  in- 
terest he  has  always  exhibited  in  behalf  of  the 
electrical  industry." 

"It  is  needless  to  state  that  Andrew  Oarnelty's 
name  will  never  be  forgotten  by  Americans," 
replied  Mr.  Tyler. 


200  LOOKING  FORWARD 

The  Prince  continued,  "I  have  always  had  a 
high  regard  for  electrical  engineering,  and  I  had 
the  pleasure  of  meeting  your  most  distinguished 
engineer,  Mr.  E.  W.  Rose.  He  must  be  a  man 
of  unusual  ability.  When  I  visited  your  various 
factories  it  seemed  to  me  that  it  must  have  been 
a  tremendous  task  to  follow  the  engineering  of 
such  machinery,  and  prevent  the  ruination  of 
your  own  Company  as  well  as  the  good  custom- 
ers who  purchased  from  you,  and  had  faith  in 
your  Engineering  Department.  Outsiders  can- 
not appreciate  the  extent  of  your  organization. 
If  they  could,  then  it  would  not  seem  so  wonder- 
ful to  us.  I  went  into  a  large  publisher's  estab- 
lishment recently,  and  saw  them  printing  novels. 
The  art  had  reached  such  a  high  degree  of  per- 
fection that  one  machine  performed  a  dozen  or 
more  operations.  The  paper  and  ink  on  one  side 
of  the  room  pass  to  the  other  side,  and  lo  and 
behold !  a  complete  book. ' ' 

1  'Of  course,"  said  Tom,  "that  does  not  in- 
clude the  writing  of  the  novel. '  ' 

Oh,  no,"  exclaimed  the  Prince,  taking  it  seri- 
ously. 

Tom  smiled  and  said,  "some  months  ago  I  had 
a  conversation  with  an  author,  who  had  been 
trying  for  a  long  time  to  get  a  book  published 
through  a  large  publishing  house  in  New  York, 
but  their  ideas  differed  widely  as  to  what  the 
people  would  and  would  not  read.  My  friend 
the  author  felt  that  the  book  contained  material 
which  would  keenly  arouse  the  interest  of  the 
people,  old  and  young  'and  tall  '  classes.  Be 
claimed  it  was  written  in  a  style  which  would 
encourage  readers  to  absorb  the  semi-technical 
parts,  or  really  the  best  parts  of  the  book,  be- 
cause he  had  introduced  scenes  and  incidents  in 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        201 

novel  form  to  assist  and  aid  the  reader  to  par- 
take and  digest  intellectual  food  necessary  if  one 
wants  to  become  a  representative  man  or  woman. 
He  argued  with  the  publisher  that  inasmuch  as 
there  had  been  so  many  novels  published  in  the 
past  few  years,  introducing  simple  and  pretty 
love  stories,  that  perhaps  the  people  were  now 
ready  for  a  book  of  unusual  educational  char- 
acter. " 

"What  did  the  publisher  say?"  inquired  the 
Emperor,  who  had  been  keenly  interested. 

"He  refused  to  accept  it,"  replied  Tom,  "so 
the  author  published  it  himself,  and  has  proved 
his  opinion  was  correct.  The  people  are  reading 
it.  Young  men  and  young  girls  are  reading  it. 
Business  men  and  the  women  of  our  homes,  also. 
I  expect  it  will  be  read  freely  throughout  Eu- 
rope, likewise;  yet  the  publisher  misinterpreted 
the  desires  of  the  people.  He  believed  he  was 
catering  to  their  demands  in  grinding  out  love 
stories  of  all  kinds  for  their  pleasure,  and  is  now 
surprised  to  find  that  the  people  are,  after  all, 
thoughtful.  That  they  do  not  care  for  pleasure 
all  the  time,  but  will  occasionally  stretch  a  point 
and  read  a  book  for  the  benefit  which  may  ac- 
crue to  them  intellectually." 

"I  am  glad,"  said  the  Emperor,  "that  your 
friend  had  fully  protected  himself  by  copyright. 
That  makes  me  think,  Mr.  Appleton,  do  you 
know  Mr.  A.  G.  Dorris  of  the  Glendale  Company 
I  believe  he  lives  either  in  New  York  or  Mill- 
ville." 

"Yes,  I  know  him  well,"  replied  Tom. 

"I  enjoyed  meeting  him,"  continued  the  Em- 
peror, ' '  He  was  over  here  for  a  short  time  a  few 
years  ago,  and  I  was  impressed  with  the  patent 
situation  on  electrical  devices  as  he  described  it. 


202  LOOKING  FORWARD 

We  are  not  inclined  to  appreciate  the  endless 
number  of  patents  continually  being  taken  out 
on  all  manner  of  devices,  and  then  detailed 
patents  of  some  particular  new  idea  relating  to  a 
part  or  parts  of  such  devices.  Mr.  Dorris  must 
have  his  hands  full  in  protecting  the  company's 
interests;  but  he  is  an  able  man,  necessarily  a 
clever  patent  lawyer;  and  I  marvelled  at  the 
engineering  knowledge  he  possessed.  He  con- 
tinued to  interest  me  regarding  new  develop- 
ments, and  I  really  wondered  at  the  man's  exhi- 
bition of  versatility.  Your  company  is  favored 
with  many  men,  whose  attainments  from  an  elec- 
trical standpoint,  are  admired  by  the  people  of 
all  Nations." 

Then  the  Emperor  made  reference  to  Mr. 
Geo.  Westlington  of  Peatsburg.  He  said  he  had 
met  Mr.  Westlington  several  times.  The  Prince 
had  also  met  him  and  they  all  spoke  in  high 
praises  of  his  personal  work  in  connection  with 
gas  engines.  They  felt  that  he  was  surely 
entitled  to  great  credit  for  the  extensive  manner 
in  which  the  gas  engine  industry  had  been 
promoted. 

"But  his  masterpiece,"  said  the  Emperor, 
"was  the  electrification  and  clarification  of 
Peatsburg." 

"Yes,  indeed,  you  are  correct,"  said  Mr.  Ty- 
ler. 

"Any  one  who  remembers  Peatsburg  in  1906, 
and  sees  the  city  today,  will  agree  that  it  was 
'Geo.  Westlington 's  masterpiece.'  ' 

"Do  you  remember  the  circumstances?"  asked 
the  Prince. 

"Yes,  I  distinctly  recall  them,"  he  said.  "The 
latter  part  of  1907  he  commenced  to  study  the 
situation,  and  laid  plans  for  a  gigantic  electrical 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        203 

station  immediately  near  one  of  the  largest  coal 
fields,  with  the  idea  of  transmitting  current  to 
Peatsburg  for  power,  light  and  heat.  He  had 
special  engineers  also  in  San  Francisco  during 
1907,  gathering  data  covering  the  rebuilding  of 
that  city.  His  representatives  secured  testimony 
from  prominent  merchants  in  San  Francisco, 
regarding  the  absence  of  smoke,  and  the  satisfac- 
tion from  electric  motors.  The  subject  of  a 
clean  city  so  interested  Westlington,  that  he  per- 
sonally visited  San  Francisco  before  accepting 
reports,  r.nd  then  commenced  the  grandest  cam- 
paign destined  to  change  Peatsburg  from  a  dirty 
smoky  place  to  a  beautiful,  clean  city.  The  suc- 
cess of  his  plans  was  due  to  the  thoroughness  of 
his  work,  the  great  strength  of  his  campaign, 
and  his  firm  belief  that  electricity  would  cure  the 
evil  and  make  the  people  very  much  happier. 
His  scheme  was  a  marvelous  one,  and  the  people 
gave  him  credit  for  the  accomplishment." 

Then  the  Emperor  spoke,  in  a  very  dignified 
tone,  of  Mr.  C.  A.  Coughlan,  the  American 
banker  and  capitalist,  and  President  of  the  Glen- 
dale  Electrical  Company.  He  paid  him  com- 
pliments of  a  rare  kind,  in  a  manner  which  was 
exceedingly  gratifying  to  Mr.  Tyler,  who  had 
been  closely  associated  with  Mr.  Coughlan  for 
many  years.  He  had  the  keenest  admiration  for 
his  ability  as  a  financier,  a  thorough  organizer, 
and  above  all,  a  thoroughbred  gentleman. 

Before  they  left,  the  Emperor  expressed  an 
earnest  wish  that  the  Electrical  Congress  would 
result  in  great  benefit  to  the  electrical  companies 
among  all  the  nations  of  the  earth.  They  all 
agreed  that  the  evening  had  been  mutually 
pleasant,  and  with  a  hearty  hand-shake,  and 
the  best  of  wishes,  the  party  left  for  Berlin. 


204  LOOKING  FORWARD 

The  following  day  was  spent  quietly.  A  drive 
in  the  morning,  then  lunch,  and  after,  Tom  had 
a  good  opportunity  to  talk  with  Mr.  Tyler. 
A  long  discussion  did  not  seem  necessary.  Tom 
had  a  few  questions  to  ask  in  regard  to  his 
responsibilities,  but  Mr.  Tyler  had  made  up  his 
mind  already  that  Tom  Alppleton  was  the  man 
for  the  position.  It  was  therefore  settled 
definitely,  with  the  understanding  that  Tom 
could  secure  the  hearty  approval  of  his  superior 
at  the  Glendale  Electric  Company.  In  view  of 
the  splendid  offer  before  him  it  did  not  seem 
that  there  would  be  any  question  from  that 
source.  v 

Tom  thanked  Mr.  Tyler  most  cordially,  and 
assured  him  that  he  would  devote  his  very  best 
energies  to  the  satisfactory  management  of  the 
new  company.  He  then  excused  himself  and 
went  in  search  of  his  sister  to  tell  her  of  the 
good  news.  It  was  in  her  room  that  he  found 
her,  and  when  he  told  her  of  his  good  luck,  she 
threw  her  arms  about  his  neck,  and  rejoiced 
with  him  as  they  had  been  wont  to  do  in  the 
years  gone  by,  when  they  were  children 
together,  and  shared  all  of  each  others  joys  and 
sorrows.  She  also  told  him  of  Charlie's  con- 
fession of  his  love  for  her,  and  that  she  had 
asked  him  to  wait  so  she  could  talk  it  over  with 
her  brother. 

"By  'all  means,  I  would  accept  him/'  said 
Tom,  "I  am  sure  father  and  mother  will  abide 
by  our  judgment.  Charlie  is  a  good  man.  I 
have  known  him  for  years,  and  he  will  make  you 
a  good,  life  companion.  I  congratulate  you, 
Eethyl,"  and  he  took  her  in  his  arms,  as  if  she 
had  been  a  little  babe,  and  kissed  her  pure, 
sweet  lips. 


EVENING  WITH  EMPEROR        205 

It  was  expected  that  the  International 
Electrical  Convention  would  hold  its  sessions  for 
at  least  a  week,  and  as  the  rest  of  the  party, 
other  than  Mr.  Tyler,  would  not  participate  in 
the  proceedings,  it  was  decided  that  Mrs.  Tyler, 
with  the  girls  and  young  men,  would  leave 
Berlin  and  go  on  to  Venice,  a  city  which  they 
were  exceedingly  anxious  to  visit  and  spend 
considerable  time.  Mr.  Tyler  urged  them  to  do 
this,  as  he  knew  it  would  be  more  enjoyable  for 
them,  and  the  following  day  they  departed, 
promising  that  some  one  of  the  party  would 
write  him  some  message  each  day. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

SUB-MARINE   PAINTINGS. 

The  Express  Italiano  had  been  hurrying  them 
along  at  a  rate  which  would  soon  end  the 
journey.  It  was  about  four  o'clock  of  a  beauti- 
ful afternoon.  The  trip  had  been  one  of  the 
most  enjoyable  they  had  experienced.  Not  one 
of  the  party  was  tired,  but  keenly  on  the  alert 
to  get  a  first  glimpse  of  that  wonderful  city  of 
Venice.  They  had  now  reached  the  stone  trestle 
over  which  the  railroad  extends  for  miles,  and 
which  might  be  called  practically  the  entrance 
gate  to  the  city. 

"Won't  it  seem  strange,"  said  Evelyn,  "not 
to  see  any  cabmen  or  horses  waiting  in  front 
of  the  station. " 

"You  will  see  the  gondoliers  there  by  the 
station  platform,  standing  by  their  boats,  and 
exceedingly  anxious  to  secure  your  fare.  They 
are  fully  as  aggressive  as  the  cabmen. "  This 
remark  was  made  by  Mrs.  Tyler,  who  remembered 
the  scene  very  well,  when  she  was  in  Venice 
many  years  before. 

The  train  was  now  in  the  station.  Tom  had 
secured  two  good  porters  to  handle  their  luggage, 
and  they  were  soon  seated  in  a  gondola,  which 
was  to  take  them  to  the  hotel. 

Only  those  who  have  experienced  the  comfort 
and  pleasure  of  a  Venetian  gondola  will 

206 


SUB-MARINE  PAINTINGS          207 

appreciate  the  feelings  of  these  happy  people. 
It  was  their  first  opportunity  to  witness  with 
what  wonderful  skill  the  gondolier  steered  his 
boat  in  and  out  from  among  the  others,  and  then 
started  rapidly  up  the  canal  toward  the  hotel. 

After  going  for  considerable  distance  on  the 
Grand  Canal,  a  turn  was  made  up  another  street, 
and  then  another  turn,  and  still  another.  The 
turns  were  also  sharp  ones,  and  the  girls  could 
not  understand  why  they  were  not  run  into  by 
some  other  boat,  at  some  one  of  the  many  corners 
which  they  had  to  turn.  Boats  were  coming 
from  the  opposite  direction,  but  the  gondoliers 
had  a  peculiar  call,  which  each  one  sung  out, 
just  before  making  a  turn.  It  was  an  approach 
signal.  While  it  was  very  effective,  and  the 
sound  seemed  to  carry  a  great  distance,  helped 
by  the  high  conductivity  of  water,  yet  it  was  not 
harsh  or  unpleasant,  but  rather  musical.  The 
call  of  the  gondolier  will  be  remembered  always 
by  those  who  have  visited  Venice. 

They  stopped  at  the  Hotel  Royal  Deneille. 
Lovely  large  rooms  were  assigned  to  them, 
directly  overlooking  the  Grand  Canal.  Having 
plenty  of  time  now,  to  take  things  easy  and  not 
hurry,  they  unpacked  the  luggage,  and  changed 
their  clothes.  Tom  and  Charlie  shaved,  and  by 
dinner  time  they  were  feeling  slick,  and  ready 
to  enjoy  a  good  meal. 

After  dinner  they  walked  out  on  the 
promenade  in  front  of  the  hotel.  A  short  dis- 
tance beyond  they  passed  the  famous  Doge's 
Palace.  They  made  plans  to  go  in  there  the 
next  day.  Further  on  was  St.  Mark's  Square. 
They  were  well  repaid  for  their  walk,  for  a 
specialty  was  bein^  made  of  the  exhibition  of 
the  four  famous  Mosaics  over  the  entrance  to 


208  LOOKING  FORWARD 

\ 

St.  Mark's  Cathedral.  For  nearly  a  thousand 
years  these  pictures  had  been  subjected  to  the 
elements  of  the  earth,  and  yet  with  marvelous 
beauty  the  colors  shown  forth  as  if  the  design 
were  newly  completed.  Aside  from  the  wonder 
attached  to  the  remarkable  preservation  of  the 
entire  subject,  they  were  beautiful  to  look  upon. 
Exceedingly  rich  were  the  colors,  and  the  artist's 
intention  seemed  to  be  to  bring  the  figures 
together  in  such  a  manner  as  to  create  a  magni- 
ficent splendor  in  -color  design. 

After  studying  the  exhibition  for  some  time, 
Tom  said,  "These  Venetians  are  likewise  artists 
in  connection  with  illuminating  engineering. 
The  interior  of  the  cathedral  must  be  wonder- 
fully beautiful." 

Returning  to  the  hotel  they  soon  retired,  all 
understanding  that  they  would  be  up  reasonably 
early,  take  breakfast  together,  and  get  a  good 
start  in  the  visit  to  Doge's  Palace.  Their  plans 
carried,  and  the  next  morning  about  nine-thirty 
they  were  passing  up  through  the  long  corridor 
of  this  ancient  edifice. 

The  guide  whom  they  had  selected  was 
exceedingly  clever.  He  could  speak  English 
tolerably  well,  and  contrived  to  show  them  the 
most  noted  paintings,  and  the  most  interesting, 
without  wasting  much  time.  In  the  salon  where 
the  paintings  of  Paul  Veronese  were  exhibited, 
they  took  particular  pains  to  read  Baedeker  and 
listen  to  the  guide  very  attentively.  From  that 
room  they  passed  on  to  the  salon  in  which 
Tintoretto 's  most  famous  work  was  shown.  Tom 
was  very  much  impressed  with  the  skill  with 
which  the  engineer  had  succeeded  in  getting  the 
light  onto  every  portion  of  this  most  gigantic 
painting  in  the  world. 


SUB-MARINE  PAINTINGS          209 

The  next  room  they  entered,  contained  modern 
paintings  of  life  and  landscape  views  under  the 
sea.  They  asked  the  guide  all  manner  of 
questions  concerning  these  sub-marine  paint- 
ings, which  he  answered  in  an  intelligent  man- 
ner, and  showed  them  circulars,  illustrating  and 
describing  how  these  pictures  were  actually 
painted  under  the  sea.  He  told  them  that  the 
sub-marine  boat  made  a  trip  twice  a  week  with 
artists  on  board  who  made  a  specialty  of  that 
class  of  painting.  He  thought  he  could  get 
permits  so  they  could  make  the  trip  if  they  cared 
to  do  so,  and  he  would  act  as  their  guide.  Mrs. 
Tyler  and  Charlie  and  Eethyl  decided  the  trip 
was  too  exciting  for  them,  but  Tom  and  Evelyn 
were  more  than  anxious  to  take  it.  The  boat 
started  at  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning,  and 
Tom  requested  the  guide  to  be  on  hand  with  the 
permits. 

Frank  Sheldon  was  in  Paris  but  a  day  or  two 
after  the  talk  with  Tom  in  Le  Bois  de  Boulogne. 
He  spent  several  days  in  Berlin,  and  then  left 
that  city  for  Venice.  It  seemed  to  him  pretty 
certain  that  the  Tyler  family  would  go  to  Venice 
before  returning  to  the  States. 

Upon  his  arrival  there,  one  of  the  first  things 
he  heard  about  was  the  sub-marine  boat  for 
painting  under  the  sea.  His  curiosity  was 
aroused  at  once,  and  he  immediately  secured 
permission  to  go  on  board.  There  were  so  many 
electrical  appliances  of  all  kinds  used  in  this 
craft,  that  he  felt  sure  Tom  and  Evelyn  would 
take  a  trip  in  her  if  they  came  to  Venice.  He 
made  up  his  mind  therefore,  on  two  points, 
namely,  to  watch  the  hotel  arrivals  carefully, 
and  to  become  an  employee  of  that  boat  at  once. 
The  latter  was  not  so  easy  to  accomplish,  but 


210  LOOKING  FORWARD 

finally  he  succeeded  by  explaining  that  he  was 
an  electrical  engineer,  and  convinced  them  that 
he  could  make  himself  valuable  on  board.  He 
had  thoroughly  disguised  himself,  with  wig  and 
beard,  and  the  clothes  of  a  more  ordinary  man 
than  he  had  been  representing  himself  for  the 
past  month. 

This  disguise  was  positively  necessary,  for 
him  to  carry  out  the  plans  already  in  his  mind. 
He  therefore  devoted  himself  very  thoroughly 
and  systematically  to  the  study  of  the  electric 
circuits.  He  wanted  to  ascertain  exactly  where 
the  circuits  from  the  switchboard  were  carried, 
and  to  know  just  which  were  lighting,  power 
and  heating.  Also  exactly  how  the  various 
machinery  was  controlled.  He  felt  that  his  plan 
now  would  make  Tom  Appleton  regret  that  he 
had  ever  crossed  his  path.  He  failed  to 
appreciate  two  things,  however;  one,  that  his 
time  to  learn  all  about  that  boat  was  short,  and 
he  was  not  so  much  of  an  engineer  as  he  might 
have  been. 

The  name  of  this  sub-marine  boat  was  the 
Amberniato.  It  was  a  single  screw,  steel  frame, 
designed  by  Brennanto  at  Milan  in  1908.  She 
carried  a  complement  of  twenty-five  people, 
including  the  crew.  She  was  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  long  with  a  diameter  of  ten 
feet.  Her  displacement  was  two  hundred  tons, 
and  her  speed  fifteen  knots  on  the  surface  and 
ten  knots  under  the  sea.  The  famous  Edmund 
Storage  Batteries  gave  the  boat  its  motive  power. 

The  next  morning  after  the  Doge's  Palace 
visit,  Tom  and  Evelyn  were  met  by  their  guide 
in  front  of  the  hotel,  and  he  made  them  com- 
fortable in  one  end  of  the  gondola,  then  taking 
the  oar,  gently,  softly  and  gracefully  they 


^  Gently ,    softly   and  gracefully,    they  glided  along 
over  the  water. " 


SUB-MARINE  PAINTINGS          211 

glided  along  over  the  water.  Only  occasionally 
could  the  dip  of  the  oar  be  heard  as  it  touched 
the  water.  The  guide  said  nothing,  nor  did 
either  Tom  or  Evelyn  wish  to  break  the  silence. 
Evelyn  was  just  the  least  bit  nervous,  as  her 
mother  had  expressed  some  doubt  as  to  the 
safety  of  such  a  trip  to  the  bottom  of  the 
Adriatic  Sea. 

Within  a  half  hour  they  had  reached  the 
Amberniato,  and  were  watching  the  boat  get 
under  way.  The  main  switch  was  thrown  by 
the  Engineer  pressing  a  button,  which  started 
a  small  motor  for  mechanically  operating  the 
switch.  Another  switch  was  thrown  which  cut 
in  part  of  the  batteries  only,  starting  the  boat 
at  quarter  speed  and  gradually  bringing  it  up 
to  full  speed  for  surface  navigation.  The  noise 
made  by  the  machinery  was  surprisingly  little, 
and  to  Tom  the  boat  looked  to  be  representative 
of  perfection  in  mechanical  and  electrical 
engineering. 

The  guide  introduced  them  to  the  Captain, 
who  spoke  good  English,  and  was  quite  enter- 
taining. He  quickly  relieved  Evelyn  of  all  her 
fears  regarding  the  excursion,  as  soon  as  he  told 
how  common  the  trips  were  becoming,  how  free 
from  accident  of  any  kind,  and  how  strong  and 
reliably  his  craft  had  been  built.  In  fact  he 
proved  to  her  that  the  chances  of  safety  were 
better  than  when  she  was  walking  on  the  street, 
or  riding  on  the  train. 

A  prominent  artist  was  also  introduced  to 
them,  Signer  Leganto.  This  Italian  painter  had 
become  famous  for  his  many  subjects  illustrat- 
ing to  the  people  the  life  and  character  of 
animate  and  inanimate  objects  under  the  sea. 
He  showed  them  the  clever  manner  in  which 


212  LOOKING  FORWARD 

the  searchlights,  on  either  side  of  the  boat,  were 
designed  to  give  the  artists  light.  All  told, 
there  were  twelve  searchlights  of  various  sizes, 
different  intensities,  furnishing  different  colors 
of  light,  etc.  The  Rhine  Scintillator  was  also 
among  the  valuable  pieces  of  apparatus  which 
the  artists  used,  to  get  effects  under  the  sea.  He 
explained  that  they  were  continually  experiment- 
ing with  lights  because  of  the  many  beautiful 
scenes  which  the  sea  was  capable  of  producing 
under  the  many  changing  cloud,  sky  and 
atmospheric  conditions.  A  storm,  he  said,  would 
change  the  entire  subject  being  painted,  and 
waste  a  great  deal  of  time  waiting  for  some 
exact  light  condition  to  again  exist,  so  as  to 
finish  the  picture.  Whereas  with  electric  light 
the  daylight  color  can  be  secured  uniformly  and 
can  be  changed  at  will  by  the  artist  to  any  one 
of  the  primary  colors,  or  by  the  scintillator 
can  be  changed  to  a  mixture  of  shades  and 
combinations  of  colors  of  marvelous  beauty. 

"Did  you  ever  meet  Prof.  Rhine?"  asked 
Signer  Leganto. 

"Yes,"  said  Tom,  "he  is  a  very  close  friend." 

"Indeed,  I  am  pleased  to  hear  it,"  he  said. 
"I  think  a  great  deal  of  him.  He  came  over 
here  and  designed  all  of  this  apparatus  for  us. 
He  is  the  most  clever  engineer  on  lighting,  I 
ever  met." 

"He  has  a  good  reputation  in  the  States," 
said  Tom. 

Just  then  the  Captain  gave  an  order  to  pre- 
pare to  dive.  This  was  followed  soon  by 
another  order  giving  the  angle.  The  sensation 
was  very  little  different  from  what  it  was  on 
the  surface.  They  had  been  out  about  two  hours 
and  had  gone  about  twenty-five  miles  out  to  sea, 


SUB-MARINE  PAINTINGS          213 

before  diving.  A  very  beautiful  spot  had  been 
selected  to  make  the  descent,  so  Signor  Leganto 
advised  them.  The  other  artists  were  adjusting 
their  easels,  getting  their  paints  ready,  and  it 
looked  as  if  they  would  soon  be  down  a  sufficient 
distance  to  anchor,  at  least,  temporarily,  until 
the  artists  were  satisfied  they  had  reached  the 
most  desirable  position  from  which  to  paint. 

They  were  finally  anchored,  and  Tom  and 
Evelyn  were  looking  at  the  artists'  work  with 
the  greatest  feeling  of  wonder.  They  had  never 
seen  anything  like  it.  Hills  and  mountains  were 
there  under  the  sea,  before  their  gaze.  They 
had  always  thought  of  fishes  only  below  the 
water,  but  here  was  a  delightful  panorama  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  see,  on  all  sides  of  them,  in 
front  and  behind  the  boat  for  miles  and  miles. 

Evelyn  could  now  see  by  their  system  of 
mirrors,  and  the  use  of  reflected  light,  how  the 
extensive  scenes  were  brought  within  the  view 
of  all  the  artists,  without  the  necessity  of  glass 
windows  entirely  covering  both  sides  of  the  boat. 
It  was  simply  necessary  to  have  four  small  glass 
windows,  fore  and  aft,  on  either  side,  which  by 
skillful  engineering  were  positively  maintained 
water-tight. 

"What  if  a  monster  whale  should  attack  the 
boat?"  she  asked. 

"That  is  an  easy  point  to  answer, "  said  the 
Captain.  "We  have  search  lights  with  special 
carbons,  giving  low  light  efficiency,  but  very 
strong  heat  rays.  We  have  found  by  experience 
that  none  of  the  sea  animals  will  come  anywhere 
near  these  rays.  We  never  have  any  trouble 
from  this  source." 

He  had  hardly  gotten  the  words  from  his 
mouth,  when  all  the  lights  went  out,  and  they 
were  left  in  total  darkness. 


214  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Tom  knew  pretty  well  where  Evelyn  was 
located,  and  was  at  her  side  in  a  second.  He 
took  her  in  his  arms  and  held  her  tight. 

"Do  not  be  afraid  Evelyn,"  he  said,  in  a  cool, 
determined  manner,  "you  are  with  me." 

"I  am  not  afraid,  Tom,"  she  answered, 
"when  I  am  with  you,"  and  as  she  raised  her 
head  trying  to  see  his  face,  their  lips  met,  and 
he  kissed  her  over  •  and  over  again.  They  were 
burning  kisses  of  love  which  Evelyn  had  never 
known  before,  and  she  had  forgotton  their 
predicament.  She  thought  only  of  Tom  Apple- 
ton  and  knew  that  he  loved  her,  for  his  arms 
were  around  her,  and  they  were  already  wedded 
one  to  the  other  by  virtue  of  this  happy  moment. 

In  another  minute  the  lights  were  on  again, 
and  the  Captain  explained  to  them  that  they 
had  had  a  short  circuit  in  the  switchboard  room, 
necessitating  the  throwing  on  of  the  emergency 
lights  on  the  power  lines.  He  did  not  tell  them 
about  the  green  sailor  who  had  posed  as  an 
engineer,  and  who  for  some  reason  or  other  had 
been  fooling  with  the  wires;  and  that  he  lay 
down  stairs  in  the  switch-board  room  in  a  very 
critical  condition. 

Immediately  after  the  lights  were  thrown  on, 
the  Captain  gave  orders  "to  surface  again," 
and  they  reached  the  surface  and  sailed  home 
without  further  incident. 

They  did  not  mention  to  anybody  at  the  hotel, 
the  experience  on  board  the  sub-marine  boat,  but 
described  the  wonderful  character  of  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  and  the  many  interesting  electrical 
devices  on  board;  also  the  beautiful  paintings 
which  were  in  process  of  completion,  represent- 
ing the  most  famous  scenes  with  which  modern 
painters  have  had  to  deal. 


SUB-MARINE  PAINTINGS 

The  next  day  they  all  went  to  see  the  glass 
factories.  It  was  a  treat  to  everyone.  They 
were  not  only  interested  in  the  delicate  methods 
of  manufacture,  but  were  astonished  at  the  size 
and  character  of  the  exhibition  rooms.  Mrs. 
Tyler  spent  several  hundred  dollars  for  Venetian 
glass,  having  it  expressed  direct  from  the  factory 
to  Northington.  A  few  days  later  Mr.  Tyler 
came,  and  they  had  great  fun  telling  him  all 
about  the  purchases  they  had  made,  the  sight 
seeing,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  through  breakfast 
in  the  morning  they  insisted  that  he  should 
go  with  them  to  St.  Mark's  Square  and  feed 
the  doves  and  after  he  had  once  been  down 
there,  he  became  enthused  over  them,  and  they 
visited  there  two  or  three  times  a  day  all  the 
while  they  were  in  Venice. 

For  the  benefit  of  any  reader  who  may  not 
have  heard  of  the  doves  on  St.  Mark's  Square, 
let  it  be  said  that  there  are  thousands  of  these 
pigeons  who  make  their  home  there.  During  all 
hours  of  the  day  these  doves  will  be  seen  either 
eating  corn  down  on  the  square,  or  perched  on 
the  cornice  of  some  nearby  building.  An  old 
gentleman  sits  there  in  the  center  of  the  square 
selling  little  bags  of  corn,  one  bag  for  ten 
centimes.  These  pigeons  are  so  tame  they  fly  on 
the  children 's  hands  and  arms ;  sometimes  several 
on  one  arm,  and  another  up  on  their  heads. 
Then  they  buy  more  corn,  and  the  pigeons  con- 
tinue to  show  their  affection  so  long  as  the  corn 
lasts. 

Every  day  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  a  cannon 
is  fired,  giving  the  signal  for  all  the  doves  to 
come  down  to  their  noon  meal.  It  is  said  that 
this  custom  is  in  accordance  with  a  will  which 
was  made,  for  the  benefit  of  the  pigeons  on  St. 


216  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Mark's  Square,  and  from  which  monies  the 
interest  only  was  to  be  used  for  the  daily  feeding 
of  these  dear  little  creatures. 

Mrs.  Tyler  went  with  her  husband  to  again 
see  some  of  the  points  of  interest,  and  then  the 
girls  and  the  young  men,  would  engage  gondolas 
by  the  hour,  and  while  the  gondolier  skilfully 
steered  the  boat  through  the  many  canals,  under 
the  pretty  covered  arches  and  bridges,  Tom  and 
Evelyn  sat  and  dreamed,  with  the  lovely  blue 
skies  of  Italy  looking  down  upon  them. 

One  afternoon  before  they  returned  from  such 
an  excursion,  he  said  to  her : 

' '  Evelyn,  I  love  you.    Will  you  be  my  wife  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  Tom,"  she  answered,  "I  love  you  more 
than  I  can  tell." 

And  before  they  had  quite  reached  the  hotel, 
the  darkness  of  night  came  stealing  over  the 
city;  and  Tom  took  her  in  his  arms  and  sealed 
their  promise  with  loving  kisses. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

ELECTRICITY  IN  SWITZERLAND. 

They  had  reached  Luzerne,  and  were  com- 
fortably located  at  the  Hotel  des  Balances.  The 
weather  was  so  fine  they  were  taking  their  break- 
fast out  on  the  veranda,  in  the  open  air,  where 
they  could  watch  the  birds,  and  the  fishes  in  the 
Lake. 

The  birds  were  so  tame,  that  they  flew  onto 
the  veranda  railing,  and  when  a  crumb  was 
dropped  on  the  floor,  they  would  come  down 
within  a  foot  of  your  hand  and  remain  there, 
as  if  to  make  a  better  acquaintance. 

"What  a  beautiful  spot!"  remarked  Evelyn. 
"I  am  so  glad  we  came  here.  I  read  yesterday 
in  one  of  our  books,  that  there  are  200,000  birds 
in  Luzerne,  and  I  do  not  wonder  that  they  come 
here,  the  place  is  so  beautiful." 

When  breakfast  was  finished  they  leaned  over 
the  railing,  and  threw  crumbs  into  the  Lake  for 
the  fishes. 

There  were  thousands  of  them  swimming 
around,  jumping  to  the  surface  for  these  crumbs 
too  light  to  sink,  and  diving  half  way  to  the 
bottom  for  those  pieces  which  were  too  heavy 
to  float.  The  water  was  so  clear  that  the  fishes 
could  be  distinctly  seen  at  any  depth,  and 
Evelyn  thought  it  great  fun  to  watch  them. 

At  11  o'clock  Tom  and  Evelyn  were  to  take 

217 


218  LOOKING  FORWARD 

the  boat  down  the  Lake  to  Brunnen,  and  so  they 
started  to  stroll  slowly  along  down  to  the  dock. 
All  the  boats  on  the  Lake  were  operated  by 
electricity  using  the  Edmunds  storage  batteries, 
and  it  was  a  pretty  sight  to  see  them  gliding  in 
and  out,  and  backwards  and  forwards,  some 
docking  and  others  just  putting  off,  for  a  trip 
down  the  Lake.  There  was  no  noise  of  escap- 
ing steam.  There  was  no  smoke  coming  out  of 
tall  smoke  stacks,  and  the  design  of  the  boats 
was  considerably  different  from  the  old  time 
steam  boats. 

Good  seats  were  secured  on  deck,  where  they 
could  get  a  good  view  of  both  sides  of  the  Lake, 
and  see  everything  before  them.  They  hardly 
knew  when  the  boat  started,  it  made  so  little 
noise.  They  were  soon  swiftly  passing  down  by 
the  foot-hills  and  approaching  the  first  landing 
at  Altenpass.  A  short  stop  was  made  to  take 
on  a  passenger,  and  off  again.  Now  they  were 
passing  a  steep  mountain  side.  Sheep  were 
quietly  grazing  half  way  up  the  mountain,  and 
the  beautiful  green  pastures  would  make  one 
almost  question  the  great  depth  of  snow  which 
could  be  seen  on  the  same  mountain  peak.  Tom 
was  much  impressed  with  the  numerous  streams 
which  were  rushing  down  the  mountain  sides 
and  emptying  into  the  Lake.  There  was  hardly 
any  time  that  the  eye  could  not  see  two  or  three 
such  streams,  starting  from  the  melting  of  the 
snows  on  the  mountain  peaks,  falling  and  flow- 
ing from  point  to  point,  as  the  formation  of  rock 
and  earth  on  the  mountain  side,  would  permit. 
Here  was  the  reason  why  electricity  was  so 
cheap  in  Switzerland,  why  so  popular  among  all 
classes  of  people,  and  so  extensively  used. 

They  were  not  to  arrive  at  Brunnen  until  two 


ELECTRICITY  IN  SWITZERLAND  219 

o'clock,  so  at  one  o'clock  they  arranged  for  a 
lunch  on  board  the  boat. 

The  menu  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  all 
the  foods  were  cooked,  on  board,  by  electricity, 
expecting  probably,  that  this  would  particularly 
attract  the  English  and  American  tourists,  and 
perhaps  lead  them  to  take  lunch  on  board, 
instead  of  waiting  until  the  hotel  was  reached. 

By  the  time  lunch  was  finished,  they  had 
reached  Brunnen.  After  landing,  they  turned 
to  the  right  and  ascended  a  hill,  toward  Axenf  els. 
About  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  from  the  landing,  is 
the  entrance  to  the  Electric  Railway  for  taking 
passengers  up  the  mountain. 

This  road  was  very  popular,  and  was  used 
extensively  for  tourists  desiring  to  ascend  to  the 
mountain  house  quickly  and  without  fatigue. 
The  cars  were  neat  and  substantial,  and  the 
roadbed  was  well  constructed,  indicating  a 
degree  of  prosperity  in  connection  with  the  Rail- 
way Company. 

They  preferred  to  walk,  however,  and 
were  soon  trudging  along  the  road  overlooking 
the  Lake  of  the  Four  Cantons,  and  a  more 
beautiful  sight  they  had  never  before  viewd. 
Everything  was  in  harmony  on  that  Summer 
afternoon.  The  sun  was  shedding  its  radiant 
light  over  the  mountains,  the  lake  and  the  hill- 
sides. The  sweet  music  from  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands of  birds  was  being  wafted  from  all  the 
tree  tops,  over  the  hills  and  far  away.  The 
soft  breezes  of  a  Switzerland  Summer  added 
freshness  to  the  mountain  air,  and  with  the 
radiant  light,  the  sweet  music  and  the  soft 
breezes,  love  reigned  supreme  in  the  hearts  of 
those  young  people.  They  had  just  emerged 
from  the  woods  into  the  bright  sunshine,  and  at 


220  LOOKING  FORWARD 

a  turn  in  the  road  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
views  lay  before  them.  They  stood  there 
together,  looking  out  over  the  gorgeous  panora- 
mic view  of  Switzerland.  Everywhere  was 
beauty  and  harmony  in  Nature,  and  there  was 
harmony  in  their  souls,  on  that  beautiful  Sum- 
mer afternoon. 

Evelyn  leaned  over  and  whispered  softly  to 
Tom  for  fear  of  disturbing  the  stillness  and 
beauty  of  the  scene.  "Tom,  I  was  thinking  if 
it  were  possible  for  anyone  to  be  happier  than 
I  am  at  this  moment.  As  we  came  out  from 
the  shaded  woods  into  this  great  burst  of  sun- 
light, I  thought  I  had  witnessed  the  greatest  of 
all  lights  we  have  yet  seen  or  talked  about  on 
our  trip — sun-light  or  God's  light.  As  the  sun- 
light excels  in  strength  and  beauty  all  the  other 
lights  of  the  world,  so  does  our  true  love  rise 
and  tower  above  the  common  feelings  so 
frequently  considered  and  known  as  true  love." 

' '  Yes, ' '  answered  Tom,  '  *  I  am  also  happy,  but 
I  am  so  constituted  that  I  can  never  look  out 
upon  God's  light,  and  witness  such  a  view  as 
this,  without  thinking  which  of  all  the  artifical 
lights  designed  by  man,  comes  the  nearest  to 
perfect  daylight.  The  pine  knot  was  exceedingly 
crude;  the  tallow  candle  was  but  a  short  step 
in  advance;  the  kerosene  lamp  was  better  in 
many  ways,  particularly  in  respect  to  its  light 
distributing  qualities.  Gas  light  became  popular 
because  gas  could  be  well  located  in  residences 
and  industrial  houses,  and  the  lights  turned, 
off  and  on,  at  will.  But  Oh!  how  far  short 
of  the  sunlight  have  all  these  illuminants 
reached!  While  gas  light  does  not  produce 
smoke,  the  air  becomes  so  vitiated  that  for  both 
illuminating  and  heating  purposes,  gas  has  long 


ELECTEICITY  IN  SWITZERLAND  221 

since  been  discarded.  After  all,  the  electric 
light  really  comes  the  closest  to  daylight  of  any 
illuminant  that  is  known  in  the  art  of  lighting. 
Those  who  have  made  a  special  study  of 
illuminating  engineering,  have  conclusively 
shown  that  the  electric  carbon  arc,  as  employed 
in  its  latest  commercial  equipment,  is  capable 
of  producing  spectroscopic  colors  of  the  same 
general  tone  and  character  as  the  daylight  spec- 
trum; a  continuous  band  of  light,  abundantly 
rich  in  red,  orange,  yellow,  green,  blue,  indigo 
and  violet,  and  beautifully  and  evenly  dis- 
tributed in  each  of  its  colors,  like  a  spectro- 
scopic view  of  daylight  will  disclose,  on  an 
afternoon  about  four  o'clock  when  the  sky  is 
clear  and  there  are  no  clouds  to  interfere  with 
the  ideal  and  perfect  daylight  distribution. 

The  electric  light  can  be  produced  without 
smoke  or  odor,  dust  or  dirt.  Nor  does  it  have 
any  injurious  effect  on  the  air,  which  the  people 
and  physicians,  are  commencing  to  consider  as 
an  absolute  essential  for  the  introduction,  here- 
after, of  any  illuminant.  It  is  a  wonder  that 
the  use  of  gas  was  tolerated  by  the  people  so 
long  before  it  was  abandoned.  Surely  the 
advance  in  the  art  of  lighting,  has  been  greatest 
since  the  commencement  of  the  electrical  age, 
and  the  electric  light  is  the  nearest  approach, 
by  the  hand  of  man,  to  God's  sunlight." 

As  the  time  was  passing  rapidly  it  was  sug- 
gested that  they  continue  their  walk,  up  to  the 
Axenfels  Hotel,  where  they  could  sit  on  the 
veranda,  view  again  the  mountain  scenes,  and 
later  in  the  afternoon  take  tea,  before  returning 
to  Luzerne.  They,  therefore,  spent  the  day 
there  in  the  heart  of  the  Switzerland  Mountains, 
and  Evelyn  declared  she  had  never  spent  a 
happier  day  than  that  had  been. 


222  LOOKING  FORWARD 

After  tea  they  strolled  back  down  the  moun- 
tain arriving  at  the  landing  in  time  to  catch 
the  six  o'clock  boat  to  Luzerne.  The  trip  up 
the  Lake,  at  that  hour  of  the  evenng,  was  charm- 
ing, and  the  lights  and  shadows  on  the  moun- 
tains formed  pictures  so  lovely  in  color  and 
beauty,  that  they  keenly  enjoyed  it. 

For  several  days  they  remained  in  Luzerne, 
visiting  interesting  points  in  various  parts  of 
the  city,  always  taking  much  pleasure  in  the 
walks  and  strolls,  which  are  so  pretty,  in  and 
around  that  delightful  place.  One  day  they 
climbed  to  the  top  of  the  Gutsch  where  they 
secured  a  splendid  general  view  overlooking  the 
city.  Leaving  there  they  walked  several  miles 
through  the  woods  over  to  Sonneberg.  It  was 
another  one  of  their  many  happy  days,  when  all 
Nature  appeared  so  beautiful  and  so  peculiarly 
in  harmony  with  their  own  thoughts  and 
ideas.  The  air  was  literally  filled  with 
the  gay  songs  of  the  birds.  Occasionally 
they  noticed  a  short  lull  in  the  music,  which 
was  simply  a  prelude,  followed  by  a  most 
delightful  solo  from  some  leader  of  the  woodland 
orchestra,  and  through  all  the  trees,  from  one 
end  of  the  woods  to  the  other,  could  be  heard 
the  grand  chorus,  from  thousands  and  thousands 
of  birds,  joyfully  proclaiming  their  gladness,  for 
the  harmonious  relations  with  Nature.  They 
were  in  synchronism  with  all  Nature  on  that 
bright  Summer  day.  Their  songs  were  synchron- 
izing indicators.  To  those  lovers  of  Nature, 
strolling  through  the  woods  that  morning,  the 
bird  language  was  delightfully  sweet  and  pure. 
Their  notes  were  the  true  signs  of  happy  rela- 
tions with  the  bright  sunshine  of  the  morning. 
They  manifested  thankfulness  for  the  sunshine, 


ELECTRICITY  IN  SWITZERLAND  223 

happiness  for  the  freshness  of  the  morning  air, 
and  delight  in  the  Summer  breezes,  which  gently 
rocked  the  tree  tops,  backwards  and  forwards, 
swinging  them  to  and  fro;  and  the  birds  and 
the  sunshine,  the  pure  morning  air  and  the 
breezes,  were  all  in  synchronism,  while  Tom  and 
Evelyn  had  thought  that  they  never  had  been 
so  happy,  before,  in  their  lives. 

As  they  emerged  from  the  woods,  on  the  left, 
was  a  field  of  buttercups  and  violets,  and  there 
knee-deep  among  the  flowers,  were  two  little 
children,  with  their  hands  just  as  full  of  flowers 
as  they  could  hold.  One  was  a  boy  of  about 
seven  or  eight  years,  and  the  other  a  little  girl 
about  ten  or  eleven. 

Their  faces  were  beaming  with  delight,  and 
Tom  and  Evelyn  sat  down  by  the  road-side  to 
watch  these  pretty  children,  as  they  gathered 
the  flowers  of  the  field. 

"Tom,"  said  Evelyn,  "there  is  no  doubt, 
whatever,  about  this  picture  before  us  being  an 
original.  Frequently  it  has  been  difficult  for 
us  in  the  foreign  galleries  to  know  definitely 
those  pictures  which  were  originals,  without 
continually  referring  to  the  catalogue,  and  even 
then  we  were  not  always  sure,  and  the 
attendant's  English  was,  frequently,  very  poor. 
I  think  this  is  the  best  of  all  the  pictures  we 
have  seen.  Let  me  show  you !  Look  there  and 
see  a  field  covered  with  buttercups  and  violets 
from  one  end  to  the  other;  and  there  the  little 
girl,  a  perfect  picture,  as  she  stands  with  a  hand- 
ful of  buttercups.  See  how  the  sunlight  reflects 
the  golden  color  of  her  hair.  What  a  shapely 
head!  And  that  little  red  dress  is  so  becoming 
to  her.  Next  the  boy,  surrounded  and  almost 
hidden  by  the  flowers,  now  and  then  glancing 


224  LOOKING  FORWARD 

around  to  locate  another  spot  where  he  can  con- 
tinue to  gather  these  delightful  tokens  of 
Nature.  There  are  all  the  colors  which  an 
artist  could  desire,  and  the  models  could  not  be 
better.  The  faces  are  such  happy  ones,  and  the 
entire  picture  is  natural  and  real." 

*  *  Yes, ' '  answered  Tom,  ' '  and  the  light  is  good. 
"What  a  shame  it  would  be  to  exhibit  this  same 
picture  in  some  dingy  palace,  on  a  side  wall, 
where  the  light  is  so  poor  one  could  hardly  tell 
if  the  wall  is  painted  at  all,  to  say  nothing  of 
studying  the  detail.  See  how  the  sunlight  falls 
on  the  little  girl's  locks!  What  a  beautiful 
golden  color  is  reflected !  The  boy's  suit  of  blue, 
the  dress  of  red,  the  buttercup's  yellow,  the 
shade  of  blue  in  the  violets,  amidst  the  green 
fields  and  the  woods  beyond,  offer  colorings  for 
a  perfect  picture.  Surely  if  all  the  great  paint- 
ings in  the  world  could  be  exhibited  under  such 
favorable  light  conditions  as  this  one,  then 
Raphael  and  Titian,  Correggio,  Rubens  and  Paul 
Veronese,  could  all  rest  in  eternal  peace,  for 
their  designs  would  evermore  be  understood  and 
critics  on  color  would  find  no  opportunity  to 
exercise  their  opinions." 

After  reaching  thj  Summit  House  at  Sonne- 
berg  they  ordered  lunch.  It  was  a  lovely  place, 
from  which  a  very  extensive  view  met  their 
eyes.  Tom  noted  particularly  the  prosperous  ap- 
pearance of  the  hotel.  It  was  about  eight  to  ten 
miles  out  of  the  city,  yet  equipped  in  every  way 
with  electrical  appliances,  operated  by  current 
transmitted  from  the  city.  Out  in  the  yard  was 
a  merry-go-round  for  the  children,  as  many 
parties  came  there  for  a  day's  outing  in  the 
form  of  a  picnic.  This  machine  was  operated 
by  a  motor,  and  the  proprietor  told  Tom  that  he 


ELECTRICITY  IN  SWITZERLAND  225 

used  electricity  in  a  hundred  different  ways, 
throughout  his  hotel. 

By  half-past  four  they  left  for  a  walk  back 
through  the  woods,  by  the  path  leading  to  the 
Gulch,  and  arrived  in  Luzerne  just  in  time  to 
meet  the  rest  of  the  party  and  go  down  to  the 
Cathedral  and  listen  to  the  great  organ,  about 
which  they  had  heard  so  much. 

They  were  impressed  with  the  beauty  of  the 
interior  of  the  church.  It  was  especially  well 
lighted,  had  a  cheerful  atmosphere,  and  it  was 
a  pleasure  to  sit  there  absorbing  all  the  beauti- 
ful things  which  everywhere  met  their  gaze. 
Just  before  the  organ-concert  there  was  a  grand 
concert  of  birds,  which  could  be  heard  outside 
the  windows,  and  while  the  program  was  not 
systematically  arranged,  nevertheless  the  chorus 
produced  a  harmony  sweet  and  rich  in  tone, 
delightfully  pleasing  to  hear.  The  first  selection 
on  the  program  was  over,  and  they  were  well 
pleased.  They  could  now  understand  why  every- 
body who  had  heard  this  organ,  so  loudly  praised 
its  tone  and  power.  During  the  Alpine  Storm 
selection,  when  the  thunder  roared,  the  tones 
fairly  rattled  the  windows  in  the  building,  the 
vibrating  sounds  were  so  powerful.  They  re- 
membered well  the  evening  at  Phelps '  house,  and 
the  skillful  rendering  of  this  piece  by  the 
Telharmonium.  The  execution  of  the  organist 
was  wonderful,  the  capabilities  of  the  large 
organ  were  skillfully  exhibited,  and  best  of  all, 
there  was  a  comfortable  cathedral  in  which  the 
concert  was  held.  Think  of  a  cathedral  being 
comfortable ;  then  add  beauty,  architectural  and 
sculptural  skill;  then  paintings  of  the  masters, 
glass  windows  of  great  value  and  interest,  bronze 
castings  unmatched  anywhere  in  the  world,  and 


226  LOOKING  FORWARD 

you  have  a  combination  that  can  be  equalled 
nowhere  except  in  Europe.  Comfort  and 
convenience  make  life.  With  them,  people  are 
congenial;  without  them,  dyspeptic.  Cultivate 
the  ways  and  means  of  securing  comfort  and 
convenience!  When  the  masses  of  the  people 
commence  to  study  the  great  benefits  of  light, 
and  the  priests  give  more  attention  to  this 
world,  instead  of  acting  as  ushers  for  the  next 
world,  there  will  be  more  real,  honest  worship 
in  the  cathedral,  because  it  will  then  be  properly 
lighted  and  heated,  and  will  be  cheerful  as  well 
as  dignified  and  sanctimonious. 

The  party  left  the  Luzerne  Cathedral  on  that 
Summer  evening  in  1912,  satisfied  that  the 
streams  flowing  down  the  mountain  sides  of  the 
Alps,  had  not  only  been  harnessed,  but  the 
power  was  used  for  the  very  practical  purposes 
of  heating  and  lighting  cathedrals. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

UNDER  THE  ALPS  MOUNTAINS. 

A  few  mornings  later  the  party  left  Luzerne 
for  Milan,  Italy,  over  the  famous  St.  Gothard 
Railroad.  To  the  men,  particularly,  this  rep- 
resented a  great  treat.  They  had  heard  a  good 
deal  about  this  remarkable  railroad,  cut  through 
the  Alps  Mountains. 

In  describing  this  railway  in  1912,  Baedeker 's 
new  book  claimed  that  the  entire  road  was 
operated  by  electricity,  with  the  ivery  finest  train 
equipments  in  the  world.  It  further  stated  that 
while  the  engineering  connected  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  tunnels,  was  of  a  wonderful 
character,  the  modern  electrical  engineering — 
referring  to  the  electric  lighting,  heating  and 
ventilating  of  the  tunnels,  and  the  special  equip- 
ment of  the  trains — was  worthy  of  equal  con- 
sideration and  attention  by  tourists. 

Upon  entering  the  first  tunnel  Mrs.  Tyler  said : 

"Why,  this  is  not  bad  at  all!  I  had  been 
somewhat  fearful  of  the  tunnels,  but  if  they  are 
all  like  this,  we  shall  hardly  know  we  are  going 
through  any  tunnels." 

"The  new  incandescent  lamps  are  installed 
so  closely  together,  that  the  light  is  most 
excellently  distributed, "  said  Mr.  Tyler. 

"Are  the  lights  burned  twenty-four  hours 
continuously,  whether  the  trains  are  passing 
through  or  not?"  asked  Evelyn. 


228  LOOKING  FORWARD 

"No!"  answered  Tom.  "All  the  lamps  are 
lighted,  during  the  passing  of  the  trains,  but  an 
automatic  signal  indicates  when  the  train  has 
come  out  of  the  tunnel,  and  75  per  cent  of  the 
lights  cut  off.  This  permits  of  economizing 
electricity  when  all  the  lights  are  not  required, 
yet  there  is  no  time  when  the  tunnel  is  dark. '  ' 

"All  these  tunnels,  Evelyn,  are  large  and 
roomy.  You  will  see  there  are  double  tracks, 
and  plenty  of  room  on  either  side,  for  an 
individual  to  walk.  There  are  spaces,  also,  at 
frequent  intervals  for  employees  to  stand  out  of 
the  way  when  a  train  is  passing. ' ' 

One  of  the  passengers  opposite,  heard  their 
discussion,  and  volunteered  some  interesting 
information.  He  said  that  in  1906  he  had 
traveled  over  the  road,  and  while  it  was  con- 
sidered that  the  tunnels  were  well  ventilated  at 
that  time,  and  no  trouble  experienced  from 
smoke,  yet  he  said  .that  the  windows  had  to  be 
continually  closed  and  opened,  to  be  comfortable. 
If  open  in  the  tunnel,  the  smoke  came  in  the 
car,  and  it  was  exceedingly  disagreeable.  If 
they  were  closed,  it  was  hot  and  stuffy. 

However,  when  the  railroad  was  electrified, 
the  system  of  ventilation  was  greatly  improved. 
There  was  an  entire  absence  of  smoke  so  that 
the  windows  could  be  left  open  constantly. 

Our  friend  continued,  "Another  bad  feature 
before  the  tunnels  were  modernized,  referred 
to  the  dampness.  Electricity  is  now  turned  on 
for  a  part  of  the  day,  to  offset  this  chilly 
atmosphere. ' ' 

After  the  train  had  entered  the  famous  nine 
mile  St.  Gothard  tunnel,  and  had  reached  the 
highest  point  on  the  road,  they  commenced  going 
down  grade  at  a  considerable  speed.  The  ladies 


UNDER  THE  ALPS  MOUNTAINS    229 

were  slightly  nervous,  especially  while  in  the 
big  tunnel.  They  felt  better,  however,  when 
Tom  informed  them  that  the  electric  train 
system  had  three  different  methods  for  stopping, 
and  it  was  next  to  impossible  for  a  train  to  run 
away,  even  on  any  kind  of  down  grade. 

In  regard  to  the  construction  of  the  tunnels, 
some  engineers  had  felt  there  was  somewhat  of 
a  sameness  in  the  engineering,  which  finally 
resolved  itself  into  a  matter  of  money,  time  and 
labor.  But  in  the  electrical  equipment  of  this 
great  railway  line,  the  lighting  of  all  the  tunnels, 
the  electric  signals,  the  motor  applications,  the 
heating,  and  the  many  electrical  appliances  on 
the  trains;  all  being  operated  from  water  falls 
down  the  mountain  sides;  power  harnessed  to 
electrical  machinery  so  that  it  was  absolutely 
controlled  for  light,  heat  and  power;  this  was 
the  most  wonderful  piece  of  engineering  the 
world  had  ever  witnessed. 

In  an  endeavor  to  divide  the  credit  among 
the  engineers,  Tom  felt  like  stating  that  the 
skill  exhibited,  which  permitted  travelers  to  go 
by  train  direct  through  tunnels  under  the  Alps, 
surely  represented  a  great  advance  in  the  art 
of  engineering;  but  it  was  of  great  importance 
to  the  world,  to  have  travelers  go  over  this 
road,  in  comfort  and  with  pleasure,  because 
many  of  them  were  seeking  pleasure  with  plenty 
of  money  to  pay  .for  ease  and  luxury.  Those 
who  were  on  business  from  Switzerland  to  Italy, 
and  vice  versa,  .could  fully  appreciate  the 
modern  conveniences,  and  in  time  it  meant  a 
great  increase  in  travel,  bringing  financial  gain 
to  the  merchants  of  Italy  and  Switzerland. 

Our  German  friend  also  said,  "The  Railroad 
advertised  its  equipment  very  generally,  and 


230  LOOKING  FORWARD 

those  who  traveled  and  used  the  many  electrical 
appliances  on  the  trainv  soon  demanded  them  for 
their  homes,  and  their  own  industries  at  home. 
People  from  all  nations  also  toured  that  section, 
and  soon  there  was  an  international  clamor  for 
modern  conveniences  such  as  they  saw  on  ^the 
famous  St.  Gothard  Electric  Road.  I,  myself, 
remember  the  impression  it  made  on  me.  One 
evening  after  dinner,  I  came  from  the  dining 
car  into  the  smoker,  and  I  saw  everybody  using 
electric  cigar  lighters.  I  tried  one  and  was 
surprised  at  its  simplicity.  A  circular  was  on 
the  table  and  I  read  all  about  the  device,  and 
when  I  returned  to  Berlin  I  purchased  from 
the  local  Electric  Company,  a  half  dozen  of 
them.  It  led  me  into  a  very  interesting  study 
of  the  subject.  I  found  that  I  could  use  a  good 
many  such  articles,  and  my  next  venture  was 
one  of  those  new  kind  of  coffee  machines.  We 
always  use  it  now.  And  then  when  Christmas 
time  came  around,  I  saved  myself  a  lot  of  worry 
about  a  present  for  my  wife,  by  purchasing 
a  chafing  dish.  We  have  had  delightful  even- 
ings at  home  with  our  friends  dropping  in,  and 
they  always  take  interest  in  those  new  devices. 

"When  taking  long  rides  on  the  train  I 
frequently  meet  gentlemen  who  have  said  that 
they  became  interested  in  a  similar  way,  while 
crossing  the  ocean  on  the  Cunard  Steamers. 
Only  yesterday  I  met  a  gentleman  who  crossed 
on  the  Electrania,  and  he  told  me  it  was  wonder- 
ful the  number  of  uses  which  they  make  of  elec- 
tricity. 

"  While  on  the  subject  he  told  me  about  a  little 
shaving  mug  he  carried  with  him.  In  fact,  he 
showed  it  to  me.  It  was  in  a  neat,  black  leather 
case,  like  a  Gillette  Safety  Razor,  and  I  shall 


UNDER  THE  ALPS  MOUNTAINS    231 

have  one  of  them  as  soon  as  I  can  get  one.  He 
says  it  is  made  particularly  for  traveling, 
adjustable  for  any  voltage,  so  he  has  never  found 
a  place  yet  where  he  could  not  use  it. ' ' 

"Yes,  it  is  all  very  interesting/'  said  Mr. 
Tyler,  "and  I  quite  agree  with  you  that  such 
Companies  as  the  St.  Gothard  Railroad  and  the 
Cunard  Company  are  much  benefited  by  their 
liberal  policy  in  adopting  all  such  appliances, 
and  the  benefit  is  shared  by  all  mankind. 

"I  heard  a  good  illustration  recently  in 
regard  to  the  value  of  such  a  small  article  as 
an  Electric  Baby  Milk  Warmer.  It  seems  that 
sometimes  trouble  has  arisen  in  the  steerage  on 
the  Cunard  Steamers,  because  passengers  going 
over  with  babies,  would  bring  on  board  a  lamp 
to  heat  the  baby's  milk,  and  endeavor  to  hide 
the  lamp  from  the  officers  of  the  boat.  On  one 
trip  a  lamp  exploded  and  a  small  fire  was  caused. 
You  will  see  that  a  small  matter  worked  up  into 
quite  an  important  point.  Well  the  Purchas- 
ing Agent  was  instructed  to  equip  the  steerage, 
as  well  as  the  first  and  second  cabins,  with 
Electric  Baby  Milk  Warmers,  and  the  deck 
steward's  duty  is  to  call  the  roll  of  babies  as 
soon  as  they  leave  the  dock.  Here  again,  notice 
how  the  education  extends  from  day  to  day,  all 
over  the  world.  The  Cunard  Company  does  this 
to  protect  its  boats,  but,  think,  what  a  fine 
opportunity  it  offers  to  educate  the  poor  classes 
of  people,  in  all  countries,  regarding  convenient 
ways  of  living.  The  Hungarian  woman  who  uses 
a  Baby  Milk  Warmer  on  board  a  steamer,  for  a 
week  or  ten  days,  will  find  some  way  of  having 
one  when  she  reaches  home.  They  cost  but  two 
or  three  dollars,  and  can  be  operated  cheaper 
than  oil,  coal  or  gas." 


232  LOOKING  FORWARD 

"Yes,"  replied  the  German,  "I  don't  doubt 
it.  It  is  surprising  how  economical  those  devices 
are.  Why,  I  don't  see  any  difference  in  my 
light  bill  since  I  commenced  using  them.  They 
must  consume  only  a  small  amount  of  electricity, 
or  else  they  are  very  efficient.  My  wife  uses  an 
electric  sewing  machine  motor  a  great  deal,  and 
they  tell  me  it  only  costs  one  cent  an  hour  to 
run  it.  She  says  she  would  never  be  without 
one,  and  all  the  neighbors  became  greatly 
excited  about  it,  and  rushed  down  to  the  office 
of  the  Electrical  Company  to  get  their  machines 
equipped. ' ' 

"Do  you  live  in  the  city  of  Berlin,  or  out  in 
the  suburbs?"  asked  Tom. 

"I  have  two  houses,  one  in  the  city,  a  Winter 
House,  and  a  Summer  home  in  Potsdam.  At 
first  I  met  with  some  little  difficulty  equipping 
my  Summer  -home.  In  Berlin  they  were  very 
glad  to  see  my  house  filled  with  electrical 
appliances,  but  at  Potsdam  they  had  not  quite 
taken  hold  of  the  business  in  an  aggressive  man- 
ner. The  introduction  of  them  in  my  residence 
established  their  policy,  and  now  their  heating 
business  is  as  large  as  their  lighting.  I  think 
the  manager  told  me  recently  that  it  is  larger 
this  past  year." 

"I  am  quite  well  acquainted,"  he  continued, 
"with  Herr  Rathnung,  President  of  the  Ellege- 
meine  Electrical  Company  at  Berlin.  He  has 
kept  a  personal  eye  on  these  small  devices  in  a 
most  surprising  manner." 

"Yes,  I  met  him,"  said  Tom;  "a  month  ago 
I  went  through  their  works.  They  have  always 
led  the  world  in  the  application  of  motors. 
Their  motor  factories  are  marvelously  large. 
Every  working  day  of  the  week  they  turn  out 


UNDER  THE  ALPS  MOUNTAINS    233 

three  hundred  and  fifty  complete  motors,  or  over 
two  thousand  each  week.  It  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  go  through  their  works. " 

"Herr  Eathnung  told  me  only  a  few  weeks 
ago,"  said  the  German  acquaintance,  "that  it 
was  one  of  the  pleasantest  features  of  his  work 
to  watch  the  constant  building  up  and  spread- 
ing of  electrical  devices  for  the  industrial  arts 
and  all  kinds  of  work  with  which  our  daily 
lives  are  associated. " 

He(  was  about  to  leave  them  at  the  next  station. 
He  had  evidently  enjoyed  their  conversation  a 
good  deal.  He  seemed  pleased  when  Tom  told 
him  about  some  of  their  experiences,  and 
particularly  so  when  he  became  aware  that  Mr. 
Tyler  was  President  of  the  National  Electrical 
Association  of  America  and  a  Delegate  to  the 
International  Electrical  Congress.  To  emphasize 
his  respect  for  Mr.  Tyler,  and  following  a  char- 
acteristic of  his  race,  he  politely  rose,  stood 
erect,  heels  together,  and  bowed  low. 

"Herr  Tyler,  sir,  I  am  honored,"  he  said. 

After  this  he  gave  them  his  card,  and  Tom 
was  not  a  little  surprised  to  know  that  it  was 
Herr  Wadlington,  a  financier  of  Paris  and 
Berlin  fame.  He  spent  part  of  his  time  in  each 
place,  and,  in  fact,  had  been  in  New  York 
frequently  during  the  years  1906,  1907  and  1908 
when  the  new  developments  were  so  rapid  in 
electrical  matters.  He  was  a  very  tall 
man,  slightly  stooping,  indicative  of  scholarly 
instincts,  rather  thin  drawn  face,  but  this 
feature  hidden  by  a  heavy  beard.  While  not  a 
handsome  man,  his  dark  eyes  flashed  and  spar- 
kled, becoming  brilliant  and  lustrous,  thoroughly 
illuminating  a  pleasing  countenance.  When  talk- 
ing on  electrical  matters,  he  became  enthused, 


234  LOOKING  FORWARD 

and  his  face  became  radiant,  reflecting  to  the 
mind  of  one  who  watched  him  closely,  a 
high  degree  of  scientific  knowledge  and  a 
deep  regard  for  the  industry.  He  became 
inspired  as  he  talked.  Tom  said  he  was  a 
thorough  engineer  and  a  scholar. 

They  bade  good-bye  to  him  with  deep  regret, 
and  he  promised,  when  next  in  America,  to 
surely  call  on  them. 

The  impression  he  left  with  them  was  that 
the  Germans  were  the  most  clever  scientific 
engineers  in  the  world,  and,  after  considering 
all  the  different  industries,  and  then  applying 
the  statement,  it  may  be  nearly  true,  but  taking 
the  electrical  industry  separately,  the  American 
Engineers  have  unquestionably  a  long  lead  com- 
pared with  other  nations. 

The  party  arrived  at  Milan  safely,  took  much 
interest  in  the  famous  Cathedral,  finished  by 
Napoleon,  visited  the  Art  Galleries,  and  a  few 
days  later  were  at  Florence. 

Much  time  was  spent  in  the  Uffizzi  Gallery, 
in  driving  through  the  beautiful  parks,  and, 
particularly,  in  the  examination  of  the  Floren- 
tine mosaics.  The  most  magnificent  specimens 
of  mosaic  handiwork  were  on  exhibition  there, 
and  they  were  so  thoroughly  enthused  that  Mr. 
Tyler  presented  each  member  of  the  party  with 
a  picture  in  mosaic  as  a  souvenir  of  the  city  and 
their  pleasant  sojourn  there.  He  bought  for 
his  own  home  a  very  large  copy  of  President 
Roosevelt  in  mosaics,  of  the  most  delicate  colors, 
and  representing  a  wonderful  amount  of  skill 
in  the  art.  For  the  reader 's  benefit,  President 
Roosevelt  had  been  re-elected  in  1908  and  was 
still  administering  the  affairs  of  the  American 
Nation  in  the  year  1912. 


UNDEB  THE  ALPS  MOUNTAINS    235 

\ 

The  party  spent  a  week  in  Borne,  and  then 
took  train  for  Naples,  where  they  remained 
for  several  days,  visiting  Pompeii  and  Vesu- 
vius, but  preparing  to  leave  early  the  following 
week  on  a  Cunard  Ship  for  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

ERUPTIONS  OF  MT.   VESUVIUS  1906-8. 

The  party  arrived  at  Naples  late  one  afternoon. 
As  they  were  approaching  the  city,  from  the 
train  window,  Mt.  Vesuvius  could  be  seen,  and 
at  a  distance  sufficiently  close  to  satisfy  the 
passengers.  Clouds  were  hovering  around  the 
top  of  the  mountain,  and  occasionally  puffs  of 
smoke  could  be  seen,  curling  their  way  up 
admidst  the  clouds.  Evelyn  thought,  for  some 
reason,  she  could  not  tell  why,  the  mountain 
looked  ugly,  and  she  was  glad  when  the  train 
pulled  into  the  railroad  station,  and  they  were 
driven  to  the  hotel. 

At  dinner,  that  evening,  they  were  fortunate 
in  meeting  Mr.  Burton  Holman,  the  famous 
American  lecturer.  He  told  them  a  great  many 
interesting  things  about  the  volcanic  mountain, 
to  which  they  listened  with  much  real  pleasure. 
His  presentation  of  the  subject,  indicated  great 
familiarity  with  the  history  of  Mt.  Vesuvius, 
and  the  many  remarkable  scenes  which  its  erup- 
tions had  produced. 

"I  was  at  Athens  in  April,  1906, "  he  said, 
"attending  the  great  athletic  games,  when  news 
reached  us  that  Mt.  Vesuvius  was  spitting  fire 
in  a  somewhat  furious  manner.  We  had 
intended  going  straight  back  to  America,  but 
hearing  of  this  eruption,  we  packed  off 

236 


MT.  VESUVIUS  1906-8  237 

immediately  to  Naples.  It  was  on  Friday  night, 
April  6,  that  we  arrived  in  the  bay,  and  it  was 
the  most  wonderful,  the  most  magnificent, 
spectacle,  I  ever  expect  to  view.  The  top  of  the 
mountain  looked  like  one  great,  terrific,  light- 
ning storm.  From  one  side  of  the  crater  rim  to 
the  other,  was  a  continual  stream  of  fire,  shoot- 
ing backwards  and  forwards,  interrupted 
occasionally  by  a  terrific  explosion,  sending  fire, 
smoke,  stones  and  dirt,  far  up  into  the  heavens. 
Awful  thunderings  could  be  heard,  and  as  the 
darkness  deepened,  the  sky  above  the  mountain 
grew  red,  with  the  reflection  of  the  fire  light 
from  the  volcanic  crater.  If  it  had  not  been  for 
the  magnificently  beautiful  sight  before  our  eyes, 
and  our*  desire  to  take  advantage  of  every  change 
of  scene,  I  think  we  should  have  been  overcome 
with  fear.  On  the  contrary,  we  looked  on  the 
scene,  with  awe-inspiring  interest. " 

"The  next  morning,  by  four  o'clock,  we  were 
over  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  as  near  to  the 
lava-flowing  spot  as  the  red  hot  lava  would  allow 
us,  and  with  our  Biograph  Machine  set  up, 
commenced  taking  the  first  of,  what  will  surely 
be  granted,  the  finest  collection  of  pictures  in 
the  world.  The  lava  was  flowing  down  the 
mountain  sides  in  great  streams,  and  we  could 
see  that  the  day,  ahead  of  us,  would  be  of 
unusual  interest,  and  valuable.  The  top  of  the 
mountain  was  also  spitting  fire  the  same  as  the 
night  before,  and  it  required  considerable 
thought  to  determine,  which  pictures  were  most 
to  be  desired.  It  was  a  lucky  thing  for  us  that 
the  machine  was  pointed  toward  the  mountain, 
because  before  long,  the  entire  top  of  the  moun- 
tain fell  in,  with  a  tremendous  crash.  In  all 
my  life  experience,  I  never  saw  anything  so 


238  LOOKING  FORWARD 

terrible.  In  my  lectures  during  1906-7,  this  one 
view  received  the  greatest  applause,  from  the 
many  audiences  before  which  the  pictures  were 
exhibited. 

In  the  afternoon  we  secured  most  interesting 
views  of  the  people  leaving  their  homes  and 
fleeing  to  places  of  safety.  My  experience  in 
taking  these  pictures  was  exceedingly  varied. 
At  times  we  did  not  know  but  what  our  efforts 
would  be  in  vain,  for  we  were  continually  fear- 
ful about  the  light.  The  air  was  filled  with 
ashes  and  dust,  which  were  being  carried  along 
in  the  form  of  one  great,  black  cloud.  We  were 
able,  however,  to  get  on  the  extreme  edge  of  this 
cloud,  and  while  the  procession  of  people  was 
trying  to  get  out  of  the  cloud  of  ashes  and  dust, 
into  the  light,  clear  atmosphere,  we  were  con- 
tinually taking  pictures.  It  was  remarkable 
that  we  were  so  fortunate,  but  as  the  ash  cloud 
moved  slowly  on,  we  kept  moving  the  machine 
back  several  hundred  feet,  and  by  this  means 
succeeded  in  getting  not  only  a  great  many 
views,  representing  the  actual  flight  of  the 
refugees  from  their  homes,  but  also  views  of  a 
most  remarkable  character. " 

These  biographic  views  shown  by  Burton  Hoi- 
man  during  1906  and  1907  were  the  most 
remarkable  pictures  ever  produced.  Maga- 
zines and  newspapers  made  most  favor- 
able comments  upon  the  Holman  lectures. 
They  gave  him  credit,  not  only  for  the  remark- 
able character  of  the  views,  but  mentioned 
particularly  the  energetic  and  heroic  efforts 
which  must  have  been  put  forth,  during  those 
days  and  nights,  when  his  aim  seemed  to  be  to 
get  nearer  to  the  scene,  while  everybody  else  was 
fleeing  with  fear,  in  the  opposite  direction. 


MT.  VESUVIUS  1906-8  239 

The  next  day  they  went  over  to  Pompeii. 
They  secured  a  guide  at  Cooker  and  Sons  tourist 
office,  in  Naples,  and  went  by  electric  road, 
which  was  preferable  to  the  steam  road,  as  the 
cars  were  open  and  much  better  equipped.  The 
guide  told  them  many  interesting  stories  about 
the  life  of  the  people  who  had  lived  in  the  small 
towns  around  the  base  of  the  mountain. 

He  said,  "Even  the  1906  eruption  did  not 
have  sufficient  terror  to  prevent  them  from 
returning  to  their  homes,  and  again  settling  down 
to  a  peaceful  life  just  as  if  nothing  had 
happened;  but  when  in  August  1907,  an  erup- 
tion occurred  (more  terrible  than  any  recorded 
in  the  previous  history  of  the  mountain)  the 
government  took  hold  of  the  matter,  and  insisted 
upon  the  absolute  abandonment  of  the  territory 
all  around  the  base  of  the  mountain  for  a  radius 
sufficiently  distant  to  protect  everybody  from 
harm  or  injury  to  person  or  property.  This 
was  evidently  the  only  way  that  the  natives 
could  ever  be  induced  to  leave  that  section.  By 
remaining  there,  they  were  continually  in 
danger,  and  at  every  out-break  of  the  volcano 
they  were  not  only  terrorized,  but  frequently 
lost  their  homes,  and  property.  Other  people  were 
also  affected.  The  cities  and  towns  throughout 
Italy,  and  in  fact  the  people  in  all  sections  of 
the  world  were  continually  on  the  anxious  seat 
for  fear  of  these  people,  who  still  had  persisted 
in  re-establishing  homes  there  under  the  moun- 
tain, regardless  of  pre-historic  warnings  suffi- 
cient to  permanently  frighten  people  of  ordinary 
sense. ' ' 

They  returned  from  Naples  with  a  feeling 
that  while  they  were  glad  to  have  seen  Pompeii, 
and  glad  to  have  been  so  close  to  Mt.  Vesuvius, 


240  LOOKING  FORWARD 

yet  it  was  a  relief  to  be  back  again  in  a  locality 
which  was  supposed  to  be  safe  from  the  fangs 
of  that  monster. 

In  the  evening  after  dinner  they  again  met 
Mr.  Holman,  who  kept  them  continually 
interested  with  his  description  of  the  Olympian 
games. 

1 '  It  was  a  most  interesting  spectacle, ' '  said  Mr. 
Holman,  "to  see  60,000  people  congregated  in 
one  place,  and  to  hear  their  cheering  and 
enthusiastic  applause  whenever  an  exhibition  of 
exceptional  skill  attracted  their  attention.  Every 
opportunity  was  offered  to  us  to  secure  biograph 
views  of  all  the  games.  However,  the  more 
experience  I  gain  in  connection  with  this  work, 
the  more  wonderful  does  the  biograph  machine 
appear  to  me.  It  seems  almost  impossible  to 
realize  that  we  can  go  over  to  Athens  with  a  lit- 
tle small  piece  of  apparatus,  and  take  back  to 
America  an  absolutely  accurate  reproduction  of 
the  contests  as  they  were  actually  conducted. 
More  and  more  each  day  I  am  convinced  that  the 
biograph  method  of  transmitting  important 
scenes,  and  occasions,  from  one  country  to 
another  will  become  exceedingly  popular  and 
valuable.  For  example,  I  have  a  friend  who  has 
a  contract  now  with  a  large  organization  in 
America  to  make  biographic  pictures  of 
the  prominent  electrical  transmission  plants 
throughout  Switzerland.  Definite  arrangements 
are  made  with  the  Swiss  companies  to  take  views 
of  the  entire  system,  commencing  with  the 
mountain  stream,  and  continuing  over  its 
course  to  the  power  house;  from  there,  along 
the  transmission  lines,  showing  the  character  of 
construction,  and  finally  ending  with  views  such 
as  the  electric  lighting,  heating,  and  power 


MT.  VESUVIUS  1906-8  241 

supply  of  the  St.  Gothard  Railway,  including 
its  tunnels,  etc.  This  method  keeps  the  electrical 
organizations  of  America  thoroughly  posted 
continually  in  regard  to  the  latest  developments 
in  electrical  power  transmission  schemes. 

"The  industry  as  a  whole  has  been  much 
benefitted  also  by  the  biograph  machine.  At  first 
the  method  was  a  very  popular  one  in  America 
in  connection  with  lectures  given  by  the  Ameri- 
can Electrical  Companies.  During  the  winter 
evenings  they  would  give  free  lectures  to  the 
public,  showing  with  the  biograph  machine,  the 
extensive  and  varied  applications  of  electricity 
in  the  home,  and  in  the  industrial  world.  One 
evening  would  be  devoted  to  the  illustration  of 
motors,  including  a  view  of  factory  practice, 
showing  different  rooms  in  the  mill,  and  cover- 
ing dozens  of  very  interesting  electrical  motor 
applications.  Another  view  showed  how  the 
wood  was  sawed  and  split  at  one  of  the 
prominent  wood  yards.  A  third  view  showed 
the  use  of  the  motor  in  the  home  for  the  sew- 
ing room,  the  work  shop,  the  lawn  mower,  the 
wheel-barrow,  etc. 

* '  The  next  lecture  would  refer  to  the  electrical 
applications  of  heat,  and  the  city  officials  were 
much  pleased  to  have  the  views  illustrate  the 
up-to-date  electrical  apparatus  used  in  connec- 
tion with  the  city  government  buildings.  Views 
of  hotels,  and  residences  were  shown,  and  the 
lecturer  intermingled  interesting  bits  of  informa- 
tion along  with  the  pictures,  so  that  about  a  half 
dozen  instructive  lectures  of  this  nature,  were 
given  during  the  winter,  which  were  considered 
to  be  exceedingly  advantageous  to  all  the  people. 
This  method  of  acquainting  the  public  with  the 
many  electrical  appliances,  and  their  applica- 


242  LOOKING  FORWARD 

tions,  was  not  only  utilized  extensively,  and  to 
the  great  advantage  of  the  electrical  companies 
of  America,  but  as  soon  as  the  English  and  Ger- 
man companies  heard  about  its  advantages,  they 
adopted  the  plan,  and  the  biograph  was  the 
means  of  greatly  extending  the  electrical  busi- 
ness all  over  the  world  very  much  to  the  benefit 
of  the  people,  in  general,  as  well  as  the  industry 
in  particular. " 

"I  can  understand  now,"  said  Mr.  Tyler  to 
Mr.  Holman,  "why  the  electrical  cooking  and 
baking  materials,  and  electric  heating  devices 
became  so  quickly  introduced.  In  the  first  place 
they  were  actually  superior  in  a  great  many  ways 
to  other  methods  for  cooking  and  baking,  and 
the  question  was  simply  to  disseminate  the 
advantages,  and  acquaint  the  people  in  the  most 
direct  and  effective  manner.  There  is  no 
industry  in  the  world  which  is  more  aggressive 
than  the  electrical,  and  while  it  seems  almost 
incredible  that  so  much  progress  could  have 
been  made  in  electrical  matters  in  this  short  time, 
yet  I  am  beginning  to  appreciate  how  it  was 
done. 

"I  do  not  believe  that  anyone  living  in  1887 
would  have  believed  that  in  1912  the  electrical 
street  railways,  and  the  electrical  trunk  lines, 
would  have  been  so  much  extended  as  we  see 
them  today.  One  reason  for  such  great  results, 
in  the  short  time,  was  because  the  people  played 
such  an  important  part  in  the  affair.  The  peo- 
ple became  quickly  educated  on  the  subject. 
They  learned  to  ride  a  block  to  save  time,  and 
before  the  electrical  railway  was  built  it  would 
have  been  next  to  impossible  to  expect  such  a 
thing  would  happen." 

Eethyl     interrupted,     "don't    you 


MT.  VESUVIUS  1906-8  243 

remember,  Tom,  the  old  horse-railway  of  the 
Northington  Company  which  was  operating  as 
late  as  1890?  It  was  a  line  two  miles  long,  and 
the  ride  from  one  end  to  the  other  cost  twelve 
cents.  I  shall  never  forget  the  old  school-house 
hill,  where  "Fatty  Green"  was  located  with  his 
horse,  ready  to  hitch  on  to  the  car,  at  the  bottom 
of  the  grade,  and  help  the  two  horses  mount  the 
hill.  What  a  time  they  used  to  have  with  balky 
horses,  and  in  the  winter  time  the  cars  were  not 
taken  out  of  the  barn  at  all;  they  operated  one 
big  buss  on  runners,  and  their  time  schedule  was 
"knocked  into  a  cocked  hat." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Tom,  "I  remember  it 
well,  but  now  the  line  extends  clear  to  Wilmings- 
burg,  a  distance  of  twelve-miles,  and  then  to 
Springvale,  a  distance  of  seventeen  miles,  where 
the  people  ride  for  pleasure  during  the  summer 
months.  They  can  take  their  whole  family  down 
to  the  park,  or  the  mountain  house,  and  spend 
the  day  for  less  than  fifty  cents,  and  through 
the  efforts  of  these  electrical  companies  all  the 
people  of  their  class  and  condition  are  able  to 
secure  pleasure  from  the  ride,  the  delightful 
air,  and  the  beautiful  scenery.  Every  railway 
company  in  America  established  one  or  two 
pleasure  parks  at  the  end  of  its  lines,  and  made 
these  parks  so  attractive  that  the  people 
appreciated  their  efforts,  and  it  was  the  people 
of  America  who  made  the  electric  railway  so 
quickly  popular,  which  resulted  in  the  attain- 
ment of  a  marvelous  growth  in  the  electric  rail- 
way industry.  About  1906  the  electric  lighting 
companies  commenced  to  realize  the  value  of 
such  a  policy,  and  it  was  through  their  energetic 
efforts,  combined  with  the  demands  of  the  people 
for  popular  up-to-date  devices,  which  has 


244  LOOKING  FORWARD 

resulted  in  the  marvelous  growth  of  electricity. " 
Saying  good  night,  and  good-bye  to  Mr.  Hoi- 
man,  they  retired,  and  the  next  morning  took  the 
Cunard  steamer  for  New  York,  where  they 
arrived  safe  and  sound  fifteen  days  later. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

ELECTRICITY    DOWN    ON    THE   FARM. 

They  were  at  home  again,  in  Northington.  It 
was  on  a  Saturday  evening,  and  the  entire  party 
was  assembled  in  the  Tyler  home,  with  Eethyl's 
father  and  mother  present. 

For  the  hundredth  time  they  had  been  talk- 
ing over  their  European  travels,  and  still  Father 
and  Mother  Appleton  listened  with  the  utmost 
patience,  but  whenever  they  touched  upon  the 
airship  excursion  or  the  submarine  boat 
experience,  they  all  found  themselves  lost 
in  wonder,  and  actually  listening  again  with  the 
greatest  interest. 

The  door-bell  was  heard,  and  Evelyn  ran  to 
meet  Tom,  who  was  expected  up  from  New  York 
on  the  evening  train.  Evelyn  was  glad  to  see 
him,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  throw  her  arms 
around  his  neck  and  shower  him  with  kisses.  It 
had  been  known  for  some  time  that  they  were 
engaged.  Evelyn's  father  and  mother  were  not 
at  all  surprised,  and  when  she  and  Tom  talked 
the  matter  over  with  them,  they  said  they  were 
glad  and  wished  them  great  joy  and  happiness. 

The  past  two  months  had  been  filled  with 
pleasure,  for  Eethyl  and  Charlie  also  were  to  be 
married.  It  was  to  be  a  double  wedding,  and 
Thanksgiving  eve  was  set  as  the  exact  date.  The 
door-bell  sounded  again,  and  Uncle  Ed  Fielding 

245 


246  LOOKING  FORWARD 

was  ushered  into  the  room.  He  had  not  seen 
them  since  their  return,  and  was  eager  to  hear 
the  news.  It  was  with  much  pleasure  that  he 
listened  to  their  stories,  and,  as  reference  was 
made  to  Frank  Sheldon  and  his  malicious  capers, 
Uncle  Ed.  got  right  up  from  his  chair,  and,  in 
an  excited  tone,  exclaimed,  "The  scoundrel!  By 
Gosh,  I  wish  I  could  have  laid  my  hands  on 
him."  This  was  very  strong  language  for 
him,  as  he  had  never  been  heard  to  swear  be- 
fore. 

Finally  the  conversation  changed  slightly, 
and  Uncle  Ed.  asked, 

"Did  you  see  any  farms  over  there  which 
equal  mine?" 

"Well,  no,"  said  Tom,  "although  there  may 
be  many  farms  which  are  electrified.  We  could 
not  possibly  investigate  anything  more,  and  so 
we  are  not  posted  in  detail  to  answer  your  ques- 
tion." 

"Uncle  Ed."  said  Eethyl,  "tell  us  all  about 
your  farm.  It  is  a  long  time  since  I  was  there, 
and  some  of  the  rest  have  never  seen  it." 

So  Uncle  Ed.  started.  He  had  been  farming 
for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  it  was  of  the 
keenest  interest  to  hear  him  tell  of  his  experience 
with  electrical  appliances.  He  said  that  he  was 
first  induced  to  commence  using  a  few  small  de- 
vices by  reason  of  circulars  issued  by  a  firm 
up  in  Wisconsin,  called  theNorthwestern  Electri- 
cal Manufacturing  Company.  All  the  farmers 
were  continually  receiving  circulars  from  this 
concern,  advising  them  to  use  electrical  appli- 
ances on  the  farm  and  save  much  labor,  time 
and  expense.  "These  circulars,"  said  Uncle 
Ed.,  "were  exceedingly  attractive.  They  were 
filled  with  illustrations  of  farm  life,  and  each 


DOWN  ON  THE  FARM  247 

and  every  application  was  illustrated  with  great 
clearness,  and  the  cost  of  operation  was  made 
very  plain.  In  fact,"  he  said,  "we  became 
so  much  interested  that  it  was  a  common  occur- 
rence to  stop  our  horses  on  the  road  when  meet- 
ing neighbors,  and  the  first  thing  we  said  was: 
'Well,  have  you  seen  the  latest  circular  from 
the  Northwestern  Electrical  Company?'  and  the 
usual  reply,  'Yes,  it  was  pretty  good.  We  must 
do  something  about  that.  If  we  had  electricity 
in  this  neighborhood,  all  the  devices  would  be 
splendid  for  us  to  use/  But  the  circulars  kept 
coming  along  every  month,  and  before  long,  a 
half  dozen  of  us  fellows  got  together  one  evening, 
and  discussed  the  matter  very  carefully.  We 
wrote  to  the  Manager  of  the  Railway  Company 
in  Capfield,  a  few  miles  away,  asking  him  to  be 
present  at  the  meeting,  and  it  was  then  and 
there  determined  that  six  of  us  together  would 
take  a  minimum  amount  of  electricity  from  the 
Capfield  Company  per  month,  and  at  least  give 
the  plan  a  trial. 

'  *  The  next  month  was  a  pretty  busy  one  with 
us.  The  wires  were  being  strung,  and  we  were 
holding  meetings  again  once  a  week  to  be  sure 
that  we  were  starting  out  right.  At  such  meet- 
ings we  fully  discussed  every  point.  We  deter- 
mined to  have  our  houses  and  barns  well  lighted 
by  electricity,  and  to  have  all  the  wiring  done 
in  the  very  best  manner  possible.  We  all  be- 
came very  much  interested  to  know  about  the 
fire  risks,  and  by  the  time  we  had  finished  our 
investigation,  I  tell  you  we  felt  that  the  way 
our  work  was  being  done,  our  property  was  a 
thousand1  times  safer  with  electricity  on  the  farm 
than  it  had  ever  been  before  with  oil  lanterns 
knocking  about  everywhere.  Why;  when  I  think 


248  LOOKING  FORWARD 

of  all  the  years  we  used  those  lanterns,  and  the 
careless  manner  in  which  we  handled  them  I 
wonder  that  our  homes  were  not  destroyed  long 
ago.  It  makes  me  nervous  now  to  think  how 
we  allowed  ourselves  to  travel  all  over  our  barns 
in  the  early  evening  during  the  winter  seasons, 
feeding  and  caring  for  stock,  pulling  down  hay, 
bedding,  etc.  Well,  I  tell  you  that  it  was  the 
pleasantest  sensation  I  ever  experienced  when 
the  electric  lights  were  first  turned  on  in  North 
Capfield;  I  shall  never  forget  it.  It  was  in  the 
early  evening  of  a  cold  November  day.  I  was 
just  about  to  tell  Sam  that  we  had  better  go  out 
and  feed,  when  the  telephone  rang,  and  we  were 
advised  that  the  current  was  just  being  thrown 
on.  They  had  been  able  to  finish  the  work  a  day 
earlier,  and  said  that  we  were  to  have  the  light 
that  night.  You  bet  we  were  pleased,  and  Sam 
went  to  the  first  switch  he  could  reach  and  the 
light  shown  forth  from  those  little  incandescent 
lamps  as  I  had  never  before  appreciated.  Then 
he  turned  another  switch  which  lighted  the  front 
piazza.  There  was  another  lamp  which  was  in 
front  of  the  old  barn  door,  and  there  from  the 
window  we  could  see  whether  the  barn  doors  had 
been  closed  and  locked  for  the  night.  In  the  past 
years  there  had  been  many  an  evening  when 
Sam  and  I  had  entirely  forgotten  whether  we 
locked  the  barn  doors  or  not,  and  rather  than  go 
to  bed  with  such  a  feeling  in  our  minds,  Sam 
would  put  on  his  boots,  and  go  out ;  most  always 
to  find  that  they  were  securely  locked,  and  he 
and  I  were  too  nervous. 

"After  we  had  used  electricity  for  some  time, 
and  became  familiar  with  it,  Sam  drew  a  sketch 
of  the  old  barn  doors,  and  the  room  in  which  the 
switch  was  located,  and  sent  it  on  to  the  North- 


DOWN  ON  THE  FABM  249 

western  Electrical  Company  with  a  little  story 
of  our  first  experience  with  electricity.  A 
few  months  after  their  circulars  showed  the  il- 
lustration Sam  had  drawn,  together  with  the 
story.  It  looked  real  good,  and  the  idea  is 
such  a  practical  one,  I  am  sure  that  many  farm- 
ers all  over  the  country  will  adopt  the  same 
plan. 

"Around  this  section  of  the  country  we  have 
become  as  well  acquainted  with  the  Northwest- 
ern Electrical  Company  in  Wisconsin  as  we  have 
always  been  with  the  Poultry  Journal  people. 
We  had  correspondence  with  them  frequently, 
and  occasionally  their  man  comes  here  to  see  us. 
Of  course  it  is  a  long  distance,  but  it  pays  him 
to  come  once  in  a  while,  as  there  are  so  many 
farmers  now  who  have  electricity  on  the  farm. 
The  experience  of  our  first  six  pioneers,  soon 
led  to  all  the  farms  being  wired  so  that  we  are 
quite  an  electrical  community. 

* '  It  was  a  pleasure  to  saw  and  chop  our  wood 
that  winter.  It  seemed  to  me  that  we  accom- 
plished more  during  that  season,  and  were  hap- 
pier than  at  any  previous  time  in  my  farm  ex- 
perience. The  work  was  interesting.  We  had 
no  trouble  whatever.  We  ordered  all  -our  elec- 
trical material  from  the  Northwestern  Company, 
and  they  were  very  particular  to  ship  it.  Why 
they  actually  sent  a  .man  on  here  for  a  month 
to  show  us  how  to  operate  -each  piece,  and  in  all 
this  section  there  has  never  been  a  single  article 
that  has  gone  .wrong.  We  have  a  large  dairy, 
and  it  is  entirely  equipped  with  electrical  ap- 
pliances ;  the  girls  never  worry  nowadays  about 
washing  the  milk  pans.  They  have  a  dish  .wash- 
ing machine  which  saves  them  lots  of  time,  and 
trouble. 


250  LOOKING  FORWABD 

1 1  Then  the  wind-mill  is  operated  by  an  electric 
motor,  which  is  thrown  on  and  off  automatically, 
thus  keeping  us  well  supplied  with  water  at  all 
times,  yet  economizing  in  current  when  it  is  not 
necessary  to  be  pumping. 

' '  One  of  the  best  things  I  think  is  the  refrig- 
erating apparatus.  I  had  heard  a  good  deal  about 
that  before  we  had  electricity.  One  time  I  was 
visiting  some  relatives  in  Hardcord,  Conn.,  and 
while  there,  I  saw  several  stores  where  they  had 
the  electrical  refrigerating  plant  in  service.  I 
made  up  my  mind  that  if  we  ever  had  electri- 
city, I  should  certainly  stop  cutting  ice  and  make 
our  own  cold  air  for  refrigerating  purposes.  Just 
think  of  the  time  we  saved  in  this  way.  Why  it 
used  to  take  us  weeks  and  weeks  tot  get  in  the  ice, 
and  we  never  could  tell  when  we  were  going  to 
do  it;  the  season  was  so  variable.  Sometimes 
the  irregularity  of  the  season  interfered  with 
our  other  duties,  to  a  very  annoying  extent. 

"Well  Sam  attended  school  at  the  Amherst 
Agricultural  College  all  that  winter,  without  in- 
terfering with  our  farm  work  whatever,  and  not- 
withstanding that  we  had  more  head  of  cattle, 
and  live  stock  than  at  any  previous  year,  we  got 
along  with  two  less  men  than  we  had  had  during 
any  winter  before. " 

"How  did  you  light  your  barn?"  asked  Mr. 
Tyler. 

'  *  Well  it  was  very  interesting  to  see  how  thor- 
oughly well  acquainted  with  the  subject  this 
engineer  from  the  Northwestern  Company  was. 
He  had  blue  prints  and  photographs  of  other 
farms  particularly  in  the  west,  and  we  found  it 
a  very  easy  matter  to  locate  the  lights.  As  I 
remember,  there  was  but  one  change  after  they 
were  once  installed.  We  had  a  light  over  each 


DOWN  ON  THE  FARM  251 

manger  in  the  stables.  Each,  light  was  arranged 
horizontally,  or  at  right  angles  from  the  side 
wall,  equipped  with  a  reflector,  and  served  to 
light  up-stairs  above  the  mangers  as  well  as 
down  stairs  in  the  stall  and  manger.  At  the  time 
of  feeding,  by  turning  a  handle  all  the  reflectors 
were  turned  to  throw  the  light  up  stairs,  and 
vice  versa  when  the  light  was  required  in  the 
manger.  In  back  of  the  stables,  there  were  two 
lights  located — one  at  either  end  with  a  diffuser 
for  throwing  the  light  down  back  of  all  the  stalls. 
The  wagon  sheds,  the  grain  room,  the  harness 
room,  and  all  such  places  were  lighted  by  locat- 
ing the  lamps  where  Sam  thought  the  most  light 
would  be  required.  In  such  places  we  studied 
over  the  matter  considerably,  with  a  desire  to 
save  in  the  number  of  lights  where  we  could, 
and  yet  secure  enough  illumination  to  be  conven- 
ient in  connection  with  our  work. 

"  During  the  summer  time,  we  used  the  motor 
hoists  to  splendid  advantage.  It  did  not  take 
us  any  time  to  unload  our  hay.  Another  great 
advantage  was  in  connection  with  getting  into 
the  barn  with  the  hay.  There  is  considerable 
of  a  rise  just  before  entering  the  barn  door,  and 
we  had  often  thought  of  grading  it  differently, 
but  had  never  gotten  to  it.  Well,  sometimes  if 
we  had  too  much  of  a  load,  we  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  getting  into  the  barn ;  but  with  the  elec- 
tric motors,  no  matter  how  heavy  the  load,  we 
would  attach  a  loop  to  the  axle  of  the  hay  wagon 
and  turn  the  switch.  I  tell  you  there  was  not 
much  time  wasted  in  reaching  the  barn  floor 
after  that  motor  started. " 

"Have  you  used  electricty  in  the  meadows 
and  fields  very  much?"  asked  Tom. 

"Well,  of  course  it  is  not  so  handy  as  it  is 


252  LOOKING  FORWARD 

around  the  house  and  barn,  but  I  was  much 
surprised  to  find  how  many  opportunities  there 
were  to  use  the  motors  for  loading.  One  of  our 
largest  fields  is  located  near,  and  parallel  to  the 
road  where  the  main  wires  come  up  from  Cap- 
field,  and  here  we  use  the  motors,  a  good  deal. 
When  loading  hay,  we  have  a  motor  wagon 
which  is  driven  up  to  the  hay  wagon,  and  by 
means  of  tackle,  and  the  motor,  it  does  not  take 
long  to  get  in  our  hay  from  that  field.  Instead 
of  making  various  trips,  we  keep  the  motor  going 
continuously,  and  hire  a  few  extra  teams  to  work 
for  us,  so  that  we  load  all  the  while,  and  the  hay 
is  'gotten  in'  in  no  time.  Since  we  have 
adopted  this  plan,  I  do  not  remember  of  ever 
having  our  hay  get  wet,  because  we  could  get  it 
in  so  quickly. 

"Our  apples  can  be  picked  and  handled  to 
great  advantage.  It  does  not  take  any  time  to 
load  and  unload  barrels,  and  we  have  been  very 
successful  in  the  handling  of  the  apples.  You 
see  our  apples  now  command  the  highest  prices, 
because  we  are  so  particular  about  our  store- 
house. When  wiring  for  electricity,  we  gave 
much  attention  to  the  apple  storehouse,  arrang- 
ing so  that  we  could  keep  a  uniform  tempera- 
ture throughout  the  entire  season.  Our  experi- 
ence has  shown  that  it  has  never  been  necessary 
to  inspect  the  apples  any  more.  The  automatic 
control  of  the  cool  air  from  the  refrigerator 
appartus  has  been  so  successful  that  we 
can  depend  absolutely  upon  its  results.  This 
arrangement  is  very  valuable  to  us,  as  it  is  a 
crop  on  which  we  can  now  count  with  a  great  de- 
gree of  security. 

"I  made  a  special  study  of  hanging  tobacco  in 
the  barns.  Before  installing  electricity,  it  re- 


DOWN  ON  THE  FARM  253 

quired  several  men  to  handle  the  stalks  from  the 
wagon  to  the  top  poles  in  the  barn,  and  required 
a  great  deal  of  valuable  time  as  well.  I  con- 
structed our  wagon  so  as  to  accommodate  a  great 
many  specially  designed  poles  which  would  fit 
into  the  special  wagon  rack.  Motor  hoists  on  the 
wagon  would  raise  the  poles  to  the  ground  racks, 
when  the  tobacco  would  be  quickly  strung,  and 
as  soon  as  the  poles  were  filled,  they  would  be 
hoisted  back  again  on  to  the  wagon.  When  all 
the  poles  were  full,  the  wagon  load  would  be 
drawn  back  to  the  barn,  and  very  quickly  un- 
loaded by  hoisting  each  pole  into  its  respective 
rack  in  the  barn  loft.  When  I  worked  this  out 
with  Sam,  we  made  blue  prints  and  drawings 
and  finally  sent  them  to  the  Northwestern 
Company,  where  they  were  received  with  much 
interest  and  enthusiasm.  The  tobacco  journals, 
and  the  farming  periodicals  wrote  articles  about 
this  system  of  getting  in  tobacco,  and  Sam  and  I 
felt  that  after  all,  we  must  be  pretty  good  engi- 
neers. To  tell  the  truth,  we  did  not  know  much 
about  electrical  matters,  but  when  it  comes  to 
talking  farming,  or  how  to  get  in  tobacco,  then 
you  better  look  out  for  us,  because  you  cannot 
very  well  fool  a  man  who  has  been  fifty  years  in 
the  business  night  and  day  constantly  studying 
out  many  interesting  features." 

"How  about  that  new  factory  you  erected 
some  two  years  ago?"  asked  E ethyl. 

"Oh!  You  mean  the  electrical  insulator  fac- 
tory ! ' '  exclaimed  Uncle  Ed.  ' '  Well  that  is  very 
interesting.  It  don't  belong  to  me  you  know. 
It's  a  stock  company,  and  I'm  simply  the  Presi- 
dent. You  see,  back  in  1907,  us  farmers  were 
trying  hard  to  find  any  practical  way  of  making 
money,  and  when  we  learned  all  about  the 


254  LOOKING  FORWARD 

advantages  of  all  of  Tom's  electric  articles,  we 
adopted  them  as  fast  as  we  could.  I  had  an 
electric  machine  which  would  milk  fifty  cows  at 
once,  and  as  I  kept  one  hundred  head  or  there- 
abouts, I'll  tell  you  it  was  not  only  convenient 
but  it  was  a  great  saving  to  us. 

Well,  all  of  a  sudden,  one  bright  morning  I 
read  in  the  electrical  department  columns  of 
the  Farmers  Journal  that  some  smart  Dutchman 
over  there  in  Berlin  had  been  able  to  make  in- 
sulating compound  from  milk,  and  by  jingo  I 
was  interested.  I  went  right  down  to  Luther 
Bartlett's,  and  I  remember  distinctly  Luther 
was  sawing  up  wood.  Just  as  he  caught  sight  of 
me  he  says,  "  'Say,  Ed,  this  electric  saw  beats 
anything  I  ever  tried  before  on  my  farm. '  : 

4 '  I  says,  oh  shaw !  Luther  lets  not  waste  time 
talking  about  things  which  we  positively  know, 
but  what  do  you  think  of  that  Dutchman  over  in 
Europe  who  can  make  a  pound  of  insulating 
material  from  a  few  quarts  of  milk?" 

"  'You  don't  mean  it,'  "  said  Luther,  "By 
George  that's  important  to  you  and  me  Ed." 

"  *  Just  as  sure  as  you're  born,  Luther,  if  that 
Dutchman  is  right,  we  will  form  a  stock  com- 
pany here,  and  compete  with  the  world  in  mak- 
ing those  little  wiring  devices  which  have  been 
made  from  porcelain  so  long.' 

"Well,  Tom,  we  farmers  watched  that  develop- 
ment very  carefully,  and  when  the  first  samples 
were  sold  in  this  country,  we  had  them  analized 
and  tested.  Then  we  looked  up  the  scientific 
papers  thoroughly,  and  finally  one  day  Sam 
made  some  samples  in  our  laboratory.  They 
were  pretty  good,  and  Luther  and  I  made  up 
our  minds  to  get  more  cows.  We  organized  a 
company  and  now  we  employ  three  hundred 


DOWN  ON  THE  FARM  255 

hands  and  -have  hard  work  to  fill  our  orders. 
That  same  Dutchman  discovered  later  that  peas 
could  be  used  also  for  certain  compounds,  and 
then  Luther  Bartlett  and  I  were  the  first  to  grow 
a  double  crop  of  peas  and  we  have  been  very 
successful. 

"You  see  there 's  nobody  like  a  farmer  to 
raise  peas  and  milk.  Why  I  keep  five  hundred 
head  of  cows,  and  if  I  didn't  have  these  modern 
devices  for  milking  and  other  things  I  could 'nt 
compete  with  other  manufacturers  and  keep  in 
the  business. 

"However,  I  never  would  have  believed  that 
in  such  a  few  short  years  us  farmers  would  have 
an  electric  insulator  factory  and  take  such  an 
active  part  in  the  electrical  industry. " 

"How  did  you  happen  to  put  in  the  electric 
cooking  and  baking  outfit?"  said  Evelyn. 

"Well,  you  see  we  gradually  became  accus- 
tomed to  the  convenience  which  the  electrical  de- 
vices offered  us,  and  as  we  studied  from  week  to 
week  and  month  to  month,  the  farming  papers, 
and  the  circulars  from  the  Northwestern  Com- 
pany which  spoke  in  such  high  terms  of  the  cook- 
ing outfit,  my  wife  figured  out  that  it  would  be 
economical  after  all  to  use  it.  She  convinced  me 
that  if  we  did  not  do  something,  she  would  have 
to  buy  a  new  kitchen  stove,  or  else  they  would 
not  have  anything  to  eat  around  the  house.  I 
asked  the  price  of  a  stove  when  I  was  down  to 
the  city  one  day,  and  learned  that  the  one  we 
wanted  was  $65,  while  the  Northwestern  Com- 
pany advertised  a  complete  cooking  and  baking 
outfit  for  $60.  So  we  decided  to  have  all  the 
electrical  appliances  which  the  household  really 
demanded.  When  we  ordered  the  outfit,  they 
sent  us  an  electric  flat  iron  with  it,  and  you  could 


256  LOOKING  FORWARD 

not  take  that  iron  out  of  the  house  now  with 
a  yoke  of  oxen.  I  never  saw  anything  so  popu- 
lar as  that  iron  has  been  with  the  girls. 

1  'Then  I  got  excited  one  day,  and  ordered  one 
of  those  electric  shaving  mugs,  and  a  Gillette 
Safety  Razor.  Sam  and  I  went  halves  on  that 
deal,  and  I  would  not  take  $100  for  those  two 
articles  if  I  knew  that  I  could  not  get  others  to 
replace  them.  Say,  there  is  not  a  hot  water  bot- 
tle within  ten  miles  of  our  house,  and  before  we 
became  electrified,  you  could  not  drive  by  a  house 
which  was  not  equipped  with  that  old-time  ne- 
cessity. The  electric  pad  now  hangs  in  its  place, 
and  all  the  Capfield  homes  swear  by  it. 

1 '  Well  it  is  getting  late,  and  I  must  surely  catch 
the  last  car  to  Capfield.  Come  up  before  you  re- 
turn, the  folks  will  want  to  see  you,  and  I  have 
some  fine  music  for  you.  You  know  we  have  one 
of  the  Telharmoniums.  I  wish  I  could  stay 
longer  and  tell  you  all  about  it." 

They  said  good  night,  and  the  electrical 
farmer  started  for  the  Capfield  car,  cheerful  and 
happy ;  the  monotony  of  his  life  on  the  farm  had 
been  broken,  and  it  would  not  be  fair  to  omit 
that  the  Northwestern  Electrical  Company  had 
effectively  exerted  its  electrical  educating  in- 
fluence among  the  farmers  all  over  the  country 
to  their  mutual  benefit.  The  farmers  in  the 
United  States  played  a  very  important  part  in 
the  great  electrical  era  of  1907. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  PEOPLE  AND  THE  ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES. 

The  next  day,  in  the  afternoon,  Tom  had  a 
visit  from  a  young  man  by  the  name  of  Wallis- 
ton,  who  was  an  old  Northington  boy,  but  had 
been  located  in  New  York  for  some  years.  He 
was  also  well  connected  with  the  electrical  busi- 
ness, and  the  conversation  was  of  mutual  interest 
to  them.  They  were  discussing  the  attitude  of 
the  people  in  connection  with  electricity,  and 
why  the  people  in  certain  localities  were  so  much 
better  acquainted  with  appliances  than  in  other 
sections.  They  both  agreed  that  the  people 
wanted  electricity ;  that  they  liked  it,  and  talked 
about  it.  That  they  liked  to  read  about  it,  and 
above  all  enjoyed  using  it  in  their  homes  and 
their  business.  They  took  an  added  interest, 
however,  in  an  almost  direct  proportion  to  the 
aggressiveness  of  the  Local  Electrical  Company. 

At  this  point  in  the  conversation,  Tom  said: 
"I  always  enjoy  visiting  the  City  of  Hardcord, 
Ct.  It  is  one  of  the  most  progressive  places  in 
the  world,  and  particularly  does  it  represent  the 
extent  to  which  the  people  will  use  electricity 
when  properly  presented  to  them.  The  Presi- 
dent and  Manager  of  the  Electrical  Company  at 
Hardcord  has  been  for  years,  and  is  today,  a 
leader  in  electrical  matters.  He  was  one  of  the  first 
to  install  a  large  water  power  system  for  trans- 

857 


258  LOOKING  FORWARD 

mitting  electrical  power  from  a  distance  of  11 
miles  into  the  city.  From  the  start  he  kept  be- 
fore him  at  all  times  the  demands  of  the  people, 
and  adopted  the  policy  of  giving  them  the  bene- 
fit of  all  improvements  which  the  advance  in 
the  art  introduced.  Such  for  example,  as  more 
light  at  no  increase  in  cost.  I  have  heard  him 
talk  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  about  their 
system  for  maintaining  the  highest  quality  of 
light  by  sending  employees  out  among  their  cus- 
tomers, and  changing  incandescent  lamps  in  the 
residences  and  business  houses  at  intervals  of  not 
more  than  300  hours.  In  this  way  the  people 
were  much  benefited,  because,  without  any  in- 
convenience to  themselves,  or  bother  in  changing 
the  lights,  they  were  favored  at  frequent,  and 
regular  intervals,  with  brand  new  incandescent 
bulbs.  The  people  of  Hardcord  noticed  these 
things  in  their  favor,  and  a  feeling  of  confidence 
was  at  once  established. 

1 1  For  many  years  they  had  the  best  arc  lighting 
system  which  was  known  to  the  art,  but  when 
the  new  alternating  long  burning  arc  lamps 
were  offered  as  a  commercial  article,  the  Hard- 
cord  Company  was  the  first  to  install  a  trial  sys- 
tem. The  action  of  the  people  was  here 
again  emphasized.  They  watched  the  test 
on  the  streets,  and  appreciated  at  once  that  the 
electric  company  was  endeavoring  to  place  their 
city  in  the  lead  from  the  standpoint  of  street 
lighting  by  electricty.  They  therefore  helped 
the  situation  by  approving  the  new  lights,  and  re- 
questing that  they  be  installed,  and  Hardcord 
started  early  in  the  history  of  this  system,  with 
the  best  lighted  streets  in  the  world.  Electrical 
men  from  far  and  near  visited  the  place  to  in- 
spect this  new  method  of  street  lighting. 


ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES         259 

"They  were  also  leaders  in  the  storage  battery 
field  by  equipping  their  station  with  a  large  bat- 
tery plant.  To  those  familiar  with  electrical 
engineering,  it  was  plain  to  be  seen  that  the 
Hardcord  Electrical  Company  was  fast  getting 
into  a  position  where  the  gas  company  would 
have  to  go  out  of  business.  In  1912  gas  lighting 
was  a  thing  of  the  past,  and  all  the  factories  of 
the  city  were  operated  by  electric  motors.  The 
great  electrical  vehicle  manufacturer  at  Hard- 
cord  was  one  of  the  largest  customers  of  the 
Electrical  Company,  and  all  the  baker  shops, 
and  the  hotels  of  the  city  did  their  cooking  and 
baking  by  electricity  furnished  from  the  plant  of 
the  Hardcord  Electrical  Company.  All  the  years 
of  study  and  preparation  which  the  active  mana- 
ger had  given  to  the  subject  was  fast  proving  the 
superiority  of  electric  light,  heat,  and  power 
}iver  any  other  form  or  system.  The  most  inter- 
esting evidence  of  the  complete  down-fall  of  the 
gtts  business  was  in  connection  with  the  introduc- 
tion of  the  electric  cooking  and  baking  outfits 
for  homes.  For  ten  years,  between  1895  and 
1905,  the  gas  people  had  successfully  pushed  the 
gas  stove  business,  which  kept  them  in  the  field, 
notwithstanding  that  gas  for  lighting  purposes 
had  been  almost  entirely  replaced  by  electricity ; 
tut  where  the  electrical  companies  showed 
Strength  and  superiority,  was  in  connection 
with  the  extent  of  their  business.  With 
/electricity  they  handled  great  illumination 
/deals,  as  well  as  marvelous  schemes  con- 
nected with  power  engineering.  They  made 
customers  of  all  the  factories;  they  furnished 
light  for  all  the  homes,  and  were  easily  in  posi- 
tion to  take  on  the  one  remaining  branch  of  the 
business;  namely,  electric  heating;  so  the  Hard- 


260  LOOKING  FORWARD 

cord  Company  commenced  a  campaign  among 
the  people  for  replacing  gas  stoves,  and  exten- 
sively introducing  electric  kitchen  outfits.  It 
was  not  long  before  the  true  state  of  affairs  was 
advertised  in  all  parts  of  the  city.  Upon  a  fair 
trial  among  many  homes,  it  was  shown  that  the 
electric  system  of  cooking  and  baking  was  in 
every  way  superior  to  gas,  and  not  more  than 
10  per  cent  or  15  per  cent  more  expensive.  As 
a  matter  of  fact  in  some  cases  the  conditions 
were  very  much  in  favor  of  the  electric  system, 
and  resulted  in  electricity  being  much  cheaper. 
As  soon  as  these  facts  became  known  among  the 
people,  they  became  very  enthusiastic,  and  the 
homes  as  well  as  the  factories  were  arranged  for 
electric  light,  heat,  and  power.  The  days  of  the 
gas  company  were  numbered.  Before  1909,  the 
few  small  customers  they  had  left,  using  gas 
stoves,  were  won  over  by  the  Electrical  Com- 
pany and  now  in  1912  there  is  not  a  foot  of  gas 
made  or  sold  in  the  City  of  Hardcord,  and  the 
people  have  benefited  as  well  as  the  Electrical 
Company.  Physicians  and  scientific  men  who 
have  studied  the  subject  for  years,  have  proven 
to  the  people  that  health  and  happiness  have  in- 
creased among  the  homes  since  the  use  of  gas 
was  discontinued." 

''Then  the  people  of  Hardcord  are  the  best 
educated  people  in  the  world  on  electrical  mat- 
ters, "  said  young  Walliston. 

"Yes,  it  is  true,"  answered  Tom,  and  the  elec- 
trical profession  has  been  benefited  by  the  aggres- 
siveness and  the  experience  of  that  very  suc- 
cessful manager  at  Hardcord.  He  set  the  pace 
for  the  electrical  companies  of  the  world,  and  is 
recognized  today,  without  question,  as  one  of 
the  grandest,  and  most  eloquent  representatives 


ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES         261 

with  which  the  electrical  industry  is  favored." 
It  was  suggested  that  they  go  out  on  the 
piazza,  and  continue  their  talk,  as  it  was  much 
cooler,  and  pleasanter.  Tom  opened  a  box  of 
cigars,  and  after  securing  a  light,  explained  that 
this  was  one  of  the  first  'boxes  of  cigars  which 
had  been  sold  with  bands  that  were  -applied  by 
machinery. 

"You  see,"  said  Tom,  "all  cigar  bands  in  the 
past  have  been  placed  upon  cigars  by  hand, 
which  is  very  expensive.  An  electrical  engineer 
who  had  been  studying  the  subject  for  some  time 
invented  a  mechanical  contrivance  operated  by 
an  electric  motor,  which  picks  up  and  holds  the 
cigar  while  another  operation  places  the  band 
around  it,  and  fastens  the  two  ends  together.  A 
large  electrical  manufacturer  purchased  the  pat- 
ents controlling  this  device,  and  makes  all  the 
machinery  for  the  cigar  manufacturers.  Unless 
one  has  thought  of  the  subject  somewhat,  it  is 
difficult  to  realize  how  important  this  machine 
has  become  to  the  cigar  people,  who  save  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  dollars  each  year  by  the 
new  method  of  applying  the  bands. 

"I  have  a  great  admiration  for  the  large 
power  companies  up  through  Michigan,"  said 
Tom.  "They  have  won  the  confidence  of  the 
people  in  the  same  way  that  the  Hardcord  Com- 
pany did.  I  have  in  mind  one  particularly  large 
company,  which  has  been  very  successful.  Two 
brothers  started  in  the  electrical  business  more 
than  twenty  years  ago.  They  were  formerly  in 
the  grist  mill  trade,  but  purchased  a  dynamo 
for  operating  arc  lights,  and  doing  the  street 
lighting  in  Johnstown,  Michigan.  They  soon  saw 
the  opportunities  which  the  electrical  business 
offered  for  the  future,  'and  dropped  the  grist 


262  LOOKING  FORWARD 

mill  branch  to  devote  their  entire  energies  to  the 
.electrical  business.  The  principles  on  which 
these  two  brothers  did  business  were  such  as  to 
make  them  successful.  They  treated  the  people 
right.  Of  course  they  studied  the  engineering 
features  of  the  business  very  thoroughly,  keeping 
in  close  touch  with  the  new  ideas  which  the  in- 
dustry introduced.  Soon  the  incandescent  light- 
ing machinery  was  on  the  market,  and  the  stores 
and  homes  of  Johnstown  were  favored  with 
electric  lights,  at  a  figure  sufficiently  reasonable 
so  that  they  could  afford  to  use  them,  and  from 
year  to  year  increase  their  demands  without  un- 
due extravagance.  Then  came  the  industrial 
motor  branch  of  electrical  engineering,  and 
Johnstown  was  not  far  behind  in  the  many  ap- 
plications for  which  electrical  motors  were 
designed.  Manufacturers  and  merchants  came 
to  know  that  these  electrical  men  in  John- 
stown were  leaders  in  electrical  matters  in  the 
West.  They  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  them, 
and  when  the  great  electrical  era  struck  Michi- 
gan, the  people  in  their  homes  were  waiting, 
ready  to  respond  to  the  appeals  of  the  Electrical 
Company.  By  1912  these  brothers  had  acquired 
more  than  a  dozen  large  water  powers,  and  with 
the  great  facilities  which  the  power,  and  their 
experience  afforded,  they  accomplished  the  most 
wonderful  results  among  the  homes  and  factories 
down  through  the  cities  and  towns  where  their 
wires  reached,  and  carried  the  electric  fluid. 
They  put  the  strength  of  their  whole  organiza- 
tion behind  the  plan,  and  the  people  who  had 
been  treated  well  in  all  their  transactions  in  the 
past,  were  now  eager  to  enter  into  further  ne- 
gotiations. Nowhere  in  the  whole  country  was 
the  campaign  with  electrical  appliances  more 


ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES         263 

successful  than  through  the  cities  and  towns  of 
Michigan.  I  was  visiting  there  some  time  ago, 
and  saw  the  finest  freight  depot  I  have  ever  seen 
in  my  life.  It  was  a  new  building  erected  and 
finished  in  1909.  Ordinarily  freight  depots  were 
simply  lighted  with  electricity,  but  these  broth- 
ers were  away  in  advance  of  the  times,  on  elec- 
trical motors  especially,  and  before  the  plans 
were  completed  they  called  upon  the  railroad 
company,  and  asked  to  be  allowed  to  submit  a 
proposition  for  electrifying  the  new  freight  de- 
pot. After  explaining  their  position  fully,  they 
were  told  to  go  ahead  and  submit  plans  with  a 
proposition.  As  a  result,  the  electrical  work  in 
that  depot  is  of  much  importance  to  the  railroad 
company.  The  large  doors  opening  on  to  the 
platform  are  opened  and  closed  by  motors. 
Every  section  of  the  depot  is  equipped  with  an 
electric  crane  controlled  from  the  floor.  These 
cranes  can  be  run  right  through  the  doors  both 
in  front  on  the  freight  platform,  and  in  the  rear, 
approaching  up  close  to  the  freight  cars.  Where 
they  had  twenty-five  men  to  handle  freight  every 
day,  there  was  congestion  and  delay  among  the 
teams  waiting  for  freight.  The  railroad  com- 
pany now  employs  one-half  the  number  of  men, 
handles  much  more  freight,  and  the  work  is  con- 
ducted with  promptness  and  despatch.  The  men 
who  had  heretofore  handled  the  freight  were 
greatly  pleased  over  the  new  plan,  because  they 
were  able  to  utilize  their  brains  more  than  be- 
fore, and  the  work  was  of  a  higher  order  than 
simply  wheeling  freight  on  trucks  from  one  end 
of  the  freight  house  to  the  other. 

4 'This  was  an  engineering  feature  which  was 
looked  upon  with  great  favor.  It  was  of  ad- 
vantage to  the  Electrical  Company,  as  the  peo- 


264  LOOKING  FORWARD 

pie  all  visited  the  place  to  see  the  work  done. 
These  brothers  were  continually  studying  ways 
and  means  for  doing  things  by  electricity,  which 
would  be  appreciated  by  the  people.  For  ex- 
ample, they  were  among  the  first  to  make  ar- 
rangements with  the  dentists  of  Johnstown  to 
use  electrical  appliances.  They  understood  that 
their  dentists  had  on  their  books  at  least  2,000 
customers,  and  every  day  in  the  year,  the  people 
came  to  the  dentist's  office  to  get  their  teeth 
fixed;  and  while  there,  they  watched  the  elec- 
trical appliances  operate,  and  asked  questions 
about  electricity.  They  were  told  how  conveni- 
ent the  dentists  considered  them,  and  the  small 
boys,  young  men,  ladies,  and  wives  of  the  com- 
munity, soon  came  to  know  all  about  electrical 
appliances. 

''The  monthly  bulletins  of  the  Electrical  Com- 
pany were  read  as  regularly  in  the  homes  and 
industrial  classes,  as  Scribner's  Monthly,  or  Har- 
per's Weekly,  or  McClure's,  or  Munsey's  maga- 
zines. In  fact  they  were  read  more,  because 
they  were  mailed  free  to  the  people.  One  very 
interesting  plan  started  by  the  Johnstown  Com- 
pany, was  to  offer  prizes  among  the  young  peo- 
ple for  the  best  application  of  an  electric  appli- 
ance in  the  home.  They  did  not  care  how  large 
or  small  the  electrical  article,  or  whether  it  was 
a  puzzle,  or  a  plaything,  or  what  it  was,  so  long 
as  it  represented  an  electric  appliance  used  in 
the  home.  I  knew  one  boy  who  secured  the  first 
prize  of  $100  for  describing  his  playroom,  which 
was  equipped  with  all  kinds  of  electrical  contri- 
vances. He  had  a  photograph  taken  and  sent  on 
with  his  description,  and  for  months  the  John- 
stown Electrical  Company  was  besieged  with  let- 
ters and  questions  from  all  the  young  boys  in 


ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES         265 

Michigan,  desiring  to  know  more  about  this  little 
fellow's  playroom.  Another  interesting  part  of 
their  monthly  bulletin  was  the  nursery  depart- 
ment. A  former  kindergarten  teacher  had 
charge  of  this  department,  and  she  seemed  to 
make  it  a  most  interesting  class  of  work.  The 
little  ones  awaited  anxiously  the  next  bulletin, 
and  the  nurse  girls  and  mothers  had  to  read  over 
and  over  again,  about  the  little  girls  and  boys 
who  had  electrical  toys  for  their  birthdays,  and 
on  their  Christmas  trees.  And  it  did  not  stop 
there,  because  they  soon  found  out  that  these 
pretty  toys  could  be  used  on  their  electric  wires, 
and  little  by  little,  all  the  children  in  Michigan 
became  possessors  of  electrical  toys,  much  to 
their  amusement,  and  greatly  to  their  benefit. 

"So  the  people  became  all  powerful  in  1912  in 
regard  to  the  electrical  industry.  There  was  no 
more  agitation  for  municipal  ownership,  for 
electrical  companies.  On  the  contrary,  the  great 
electrical  era  had  been  so  aggressively  promoted 
by  the  private  electrical  companies  that  the  com- 
parison between  private  and  municipally  con- 
trolled companies  was  exceedingly  bad.  The  peo- 
ple were  the  first  to  complain,  and  careful  in- 
vestigation proved  that  their  claims  were  just. 
They  showed  conclusively  that  the  organization 
of  the  municipal  companies  was  not  sufficient  to 
take  care  of  their  requirements  for  light,  heat, 
and  power  in  the  homes,  the  factories,  and  the 
stores.  The  municipal  companies  did  not  keep 
the  people  informed ;  they  did  not  issue  monthly 
bulletins;  and  were  far  behind  in  the  art  of 
handling  electrical  appliances.  As  a  result,  there 
was  constant  agitation  by  the  people,  in  favor  of 
private  electrical  companies,  which  finally  de- 
manded that  the  cities  should  sell  out  at  a  fair 


266  LOOKING  FORWARD 

price  to  some  good  first-class  company,  and  now 
there  is  hardly  a  municipal  electrical  plant  in 
the  whole  of  the  United  States." 

"  Which  do  you  consider  the  largest  and  most 
aggressive  individual  electrical  company  in  the 
world?"  asked  young  Walliston. 

"  It  is  my  understanding, ' '  replied  Tom,  * '  that 
the  Shecargon  Edmunds  Company  of  Shecargon, 
111.,  is  the  largest  and  most  progressive.  The  lat- 
est advices  show  that  they  have  50,000  customers 
on  their  books.  Their  methods  have  been  the 
cause  of  much  admiration,  not  only  among  the 
electrical  people,  but  all  the  people  in  general. 
As  early  as  1900,  they  issued  their  monthly  bul- 
letin, and  from  year  to  year  have  been  studying 
the  best  ways  and  means  of  keeping  the  people 
informed  about  their  facilities.  This  company 
studied  the  business  from  all  sides.  It  not  only 
kept  pace  with  the  demands  of  the  people,  but 
it  was  the  first  company  in  the  world  to  install 
the  largest  combination  steam  turbine,  and  elec- 
trical generator.  It  has  been  said  that  the  man- 
agement of  this  company  was  the  best,  most 
energetic,  and  successful,  of  any  company  in  the 
world.  Those  who  have  been  connected  with 
that  company  state  that  the  President  had  edu- 
cated his  heads  of  departments  so  effectually, 
that  his  own  aggressive,  up-to-date  ideas  could 
be  seen  in  all  branches  of  their  business.  He 
knew  the  business  in  all  its  details;  had  been 
personally  associated  with  the  great  Thos.  Ed- 
munds in  the  early  days  of  electricity;  and  it 
was  the  detailed  knowledge  of  the  business, 
coupled  with  his  executive  ability,  which  kept 
the  Shecargon  Edmunds  Company  far  in  the 
lead  as  an  electrical  corporation.  First  in  light, 
first  in  heat,  and  first  in  the  power  of  the  indus- 


ELECTRICAL  COMPANIES         267 

trial  world.  When  this  man's  biography  shall 
have  been  written,  and  the  people  shall  have 
known  the  ability  which  he  possessed,  they  will 
understand  why  his  company  led  the  world  dur- 
ing the  great  electrical  era  of  1907.  When 
the  command  was  given  to  push  electrical 
heating  devices  among  the  homes  of  the 
people,  there  was  no  let-up  until  this  com- 
pany towered  away  above  every  other  elec- 
trical company,  in  its  results.  Their  com- 
mercial organization  showed  wonderful  aggres- 
siveness in  presenting  the  subject.  There  was 
no  detail  too  small  for  the  careful  presentation 
of  these  solicitors  of  electricity.  So  thoroughly 
were  the  devices  exhibited,  that  the  people  be- 
came tolerably  well  versed  in  electrical  engineer- 
ing, and  never  before  in  the  history  of  the  in- 
dustry had  they  become  so  familiar  with  the  ear- 
nest efforts  of  the  Shecargon  Edmunds  Com- 
pany to  educate  them  regarding  their  home  ap- 
pliances. The  wiring  contractors,  and  the  sup- 
ply houses  all  noticed  the  great  impetus  which 
their  end  of  the  business  had  acquired,  and  every 
proprietor,  manager,  and  assistant  manager  con- 
nected with  the  electrical  business  did  his  share 
in  experimenting  with  the  appliances.  They 
took  it  up  first  as  a  matter  of  duty,  then  as  a 
matter  of  interest,  and  finally  became  so  en- 
thused that  their  homes  demanded  the  devices 
for  all  time." 

"Well,"  said  Walliston,  "I  am  afraid  I  must 
go.  The  discussion  is  very  interesting.  I  do  not 
know  where  it  will  end.  When  you  stop  to  think 
of  the  part  which  electricity  now  plays  in  our 
lives,  and  the  ever-increasing  use  of  electricity 
in  all  its  branches,  it  is  well  that  our  boys  and 
girls  are  educated  young  to  undertsand  the  sub- 


268  LOOKING  FORWARD 

ject.  The  next  generation  will  breed  many  elec- 
trical engineers  of  marked  ability,  so  that  as  the 
industry  grows,  and  takes  on  marvelous  propor- 
tions, the  young  men  of  the  country  will  be  able 
to  cope  with  it,  to  the  great  advantage  of  them- 
selves, and  all  the  people  of  the  world," 


CHAPTER  XXL 

MILLVILLE,  THE  ELECTRIC   CITY  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Tom  wished  to  go  back  to  Millville  for  a  cou- 
ple of  days,  and  see  s'ome  of  his  old  factory 
friends,  before  the  wedding,  and  he  therefore 
left  Northington  one  afternoon,  promising  to  re- 
turn in  a  day  or  two. 

It  was  a  great  pleasure  to  meet  them  all  again 
and  it  was  with  deep  regret  that  he  was  leaving 
the  place  where  so  many  interesting,  happy  years 
were  spent. 

The  city  was  located  on  the  banks  of  the  Mo- 
hegan  River  in  a  beautiful  valley  bearing  the 
same  name.  The  population  in  1912  had  reached 
the  100,000  mark,  representing  the  largest  pro- 
portionate increase  between  1900  and  1910  of 
any  city  in  the  United  States. 

One  of  the  best  boat  houses  'anywhere  in  the 
country  might  be  found  only  a  few  minutes'  walk 
from  the  city's  center.  There,  one-  may  rent 
a  sail  boat,  motor  boat,  row  boat  or  a  canoe,  de- 
pending upon  the  individual's  previous  marine 
experience.  Many  are  the  tales  of  love  which 
those  boats  might  relate,  were  it  not  for  the  fact 
that  when  the  boat  is  hired,  while  the  man- 
agement does  not  guarantee  that  the  boats  will 
not  listen,  he  will  positively  assume  all  respon- 
sibility for  any  tales  that  might  be  thereafter 
related. 


270  LOOKING  FORWARD 

Near  the  main  street,  within  a  short  distance, 
may  be  seen  a  livery  stable,  famous  throughout 
the  entire  State  of  New  York  for  its  fine  turn- 
outs. This  stable  was  one  of  the  first  to  carry  a 
line  of  automobiles,  motor  cycles,  and  horseless 
vehicles,  thus  offering  to  the  people,  conveniences 
of  all  kinds,  from  which  they  might  take  their 
choice.  Electrical  vehicles  were  exceedingly 
popular  as  the  Millville  Electrical  Company  had 
installed  electrants  freely  throughout  the  city, 
sparing  no  expense  to  encourage  the  use  of  elec- 
tricity in  every  way. 

Millville  was  proud  of  its  pavements.  It  had 
more  miles  of  asphalt  laid,  in  proportion  to  its 
population,  than  any  other  city  in  New  York 
State,  and  its  park  system,  while  not  very  old, 
had  the  advantage  of  being  laid  out  on  the  most 
modern  plans,  free  from  mistakes  which  other 
cities  had  made,  and  gaining  all  the  advantages 
which  the  latest  experience  had  offered.  Visi- 
tors to  Millville  were  driven  for  miles  through 
these  parks,  and  finally  passing  beyond  the  park 
system,  entered  into  the  grounds  of  the  Mohegan 
Country  Club.  During  the  first  few  years  of 
this  club's  existence,  it  had  become  well  known 
throughout  the  State,  but  it  now  possessed  an 
unparalleled  reputation.  It  had  a  membership 
of  between  1,500  and  2,000,  including  non-resi- 
dent members,  and  still  a  long  waiting  list.  With 
miles  of  driveways,  all  kinds  of  sporting  games, 
and  $75,000  invested  in  the  house  and  grounds, 
the  club  offered  exercises  and  amusements  of  a 
very  high  order.  The  associations  of  this  club 
were  likewise  exceedingly  pleasant.  It  had 
twenty  or  twenty-five  sleeping-rooms  available, 
so  that  visitors  from  many  parts  of  the  country 
frequently  made  their  headquarters  there.  Many 


,     MILLVILLE  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY  271 

of  the  prominent  electrical  engineers  in  Boston, 
New  York,  and  Chicago  had  driven  into  the 
woods  at  the  right  of  the  tenth  hole  tee,  and  with 
the  tall  grass  hazards,  and  the  brooklets  on  the 
course,  they  had  here  been  taught  to  swear  in 
graceful  form.  One  other  thing  may  be  said; 
namely,  that  it  was  one  of  the  most  popular  as- 
sociations in  the  city,  and  much  of  its  success  was 
due  to  the  untiring  efforts  of  the  several  able 
presidents  which  had  been  elected.  It  was  a  good 
thing  for  the  electrical  industry  that  such  a  fine 
place  was  available  for  so  many  young  electrical 
men  to  exercise,  and  preserve  their  best  energies, 
mentally  and  physically,  for  problems  sure  to 
come  later  in  life,  and  sure  to  be  handled  better 
because  of  those  early  years  of  part  pleasure 
and  part  work. 

The  city  was  also  proud  of  its  magnificent  new 
railway  station,  including  with  its  erection,  the 
abandonment  of  the  grade  crossing.  This  station 
was  considered  one  of  the  best  along  the  lines  of 
the  New  York  Central  Road.  Its  lighting  had 
been  commented  upon  with  much  favor.  The 
type  of  lighting  was  the  well-known  metal  ceil- 
ing arc  diffuser  system.  The  company  had  made 
a  specialty  of  this  particular  installation,  because 
of  its  location,  and  the  many  famous  engineers 
who  would  pass  through  this  station  from  all 
parts  of  the  world.  It  was  said  that  the  results 
of  this  engineering  caused  more  favorable  com- 
ment among  the  engineers  of  various  railroads 
than  any  other  one  class  of  engineering  during 
that  year. 

Just  before  Tom  returned  from  Europe,  a 
large  new  department  store  had  been  opened  in 
the  city.  This  was  a  magnificent  building,  nearly 
twice  as  large  in  size  compared  with  any  other 


272  LOOKING  FORWARD 

building  previously  erected  there.  He  had  been 
very  much  interested  in  this  store.  The  building 
was  famous  for  its  construction.  The  pile  driver 
which  first  started  the  foundation  was  driven  by 
an  electric  motor,  the  electricity  for  which  was 
supplied  by  the  Millville  Electric  Light,  Heat 
and  Power  Company.  When  the  steel  structures 
were  received,  they  were  handled  by  electric  mo- 
tors, and  cranes,  and  every  one  of  the  rivets  were 
driven  and  headed  by  electric  hammers,  or  elec- 
tric riveters.  The  electric  wiring  plans  were  five 
times  rejected,  and  changed  to  suit  the  owner, 
and  more  than  100  detailed  prints  of  the  wiring 
alone,  were  made  to  suit  him.  Before  the  ceil- 
ings 'and  side  walls  were  commenced,  the  archi- 
tect and  illuminating  engineer  had  had  many 
conferences,  with  the  result  that  the  illumina- 
tion for  that  building,  both  for  daylight  distri- 
bution, and  artificial  light,  was  the  best  which 
they  could  possibly  offer. 

After  the  store  was  finished  there  was  one 
room  which  for  a  time  was  very  popular.  It  was 
called  the  " Light  Exhibition  Room."  The  illu- 
minating engineer  had  planned  this  room,  with 
instruments  to  show  the  public  how  various  col- 
ored cloths  and  garments  appeared  under  the 
many  forms  of  light  common  to  all  classes  of 
merchants.  The  idea  of  this  department  store 
in  educating  the  public  was  to  try  and  induce 
customers  to  avoid  purchasing  colored  material 
in  any  store  except  that  one,  where  the  illumi- 
nation during  the  day  time,  or  from  artificial 
light,  was  sure  to  result  in  -a  satisfactory  pur- 
chase. 

There  were  no  fixtures  of  any  kind  whatever 
in  this  store.  The  cash  register  apparatus  was 
concealed ;  the  incandescent  and  arc  lighting  ma- 


MILLVILLE  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY  273 

terial  was  part  of  the  ceiling,  and  arranged  as  a 
part  of  the  decorations.  The  building  was 
equipped  with  four  electric  elevators,  and  one  of 
the  best  restaurants  in  the  city.  Every  bit  of 
food  was  cooked  by  electricity,  and  in  this  store 
all  the  electrical  applications  were  set  forth  in 
practical  form.  The  Telharmonium  was  a  most 
popular  addition  to  the  many  other  devices,  and 
in  the  restaurant  particularly. 

The  Woman's  Club  of  Millville  was  another 
organization  which  was  famous  for  the  aggres- 
sive manner  in  which  it  followed  subjects  of 
importance  to  the  country  at  large.  About  the 
year  1906  this  had  been  one  of  the  first  organi- 
zations to  agitate  the  subject  of  "Good  House- 
keeping." In  their  cooking  schools  the  electric 
method  of  cooking  was  used  for  demonstration. 
They  claimed  that  any  housewife  living  in  the 
"Electric  City  of  the  World,"  who  was  anx- 
ious to  promote  and  advance  good  housekeeping 
should  use  electricity  for  cooking  and  baking, 
and  continually  be  studying  the  different  devices 
which  would  make  her  home  pleasanter  for  her 
husband  and  family.  A  story  had  been  passed 
along  regarding  this  Woman's  Club,  which  is 
worth  repeating,  as  it  indicates  the  progressive 
character  of  its  members.  It  seems  that  an 
old  speaker  from  one  of  the  large  cities  had 
been  invited  to  give  them  a  talk  on  good  house- 
keeping, but  for  some  reason,  had  not  sized  up 
the  audience  with  proper  care,  and  many  refer- 
ences were  made  to  the  use  of  a  gas  stove.  She 
likewise  failed  to  exhibit  any  degree  of  experi- 
ence with  electric  devices,  which  showed  that 
her  education  had  been  limited,  and  that  she 
was  not  a  representative  speaker  for  promoting 
the  best  interests  of  good  housekeeping.  It  is 


274  LOOKING  FOKWARD 

said  that  the  members  were  so  much  put  out 
about  this  affair  that  an  Executive  Committee 
meeting  was  held,  and  a  resolution  passed,  re- 
quiring a  very  close  investigation  thereafter, 
when  extending  an  invitaton  to  outsiders  to  speak 
before  that  club.  In  fact  the  Woman's  Club  of 
Millville  possessed  such  a  reputation  for  the 
manner  in  which  it  had  promoted  the  subject  of 
"Good  Housekeeping"  that  their  secretary  was 
besieged  by  letters  requesting  articles  for  print- 
ing in  the  Woman 's  Club  papers  and  magazines, 
for  the  benefit  of  other  clubs  studying  the  same 
subjects.  This  particular  subject  was  given 
great  emphasis  by  the  Millville  Club,  because  all 
the  members  determined  to  see  electrical  devices 
put  forward  to  the  front.  They  knew  from  their 
own  experience  that  they  possessed  merit  over 
all  other  former  devices,  and  as  Millville  was 
ranked  as  the  "Electric  City  of  the  World," 
they  felt  that  the  entire  club,  as  well  as  the  cook- 
ing department,  should  bend  every  energy  to 
advance  and  promote  good  housekeeping.  This 
was  one  strong  reason  why  the  club  was  so  suc- 
cessful in  all  its  papers,  and  demonstrations  on 
the  subject. 

Another  excellent  feature  about  which  Mill- 
ville could  talk  boastingly,  and  in  a  proud  man- 
ner, related  to  the  number  and  character  of  its 
schools.  While  the  remarkable  increase  in  pop- 
ulation had  taxed  the  School  Board's  ability  to 
build  schools  fast  enough,  yet  they  had  kept  pace 
with  the  requirements,  and  now  they  could  boast 
of  their  schools  without  complaint,  or  criticism 
from  any  party.  The  School  Board  of  Millville 
was  famous  for  its  daring  character  in  undertak- 
ing new  schemes,  and  in  every  case  the  results 
bad  been  so  excellent  that  they  began  to  feel  that 


MILLVILLE  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY  275 

what  others  called  risk  and  daring,  represented 
after  all,  a  knowledge  of  the  times  and  the 
proper  care  of  the  public  '&  children. 

Early  in  the  year  1907,  the  School  Board 
adopted  the  plan  of  studying  geography  by 
means  of  the  biograph.  All  the  new  schoolhouses 
had  been  provided  with  a  large  Assembly  Room, 
and  a  good  sized  stage.  A  biograph  machine 
was  purchased,  and  a  teacher  employed  who  had 
made  a  special  study  of  the  biograph  method  of 
teaching  geography.  He  visited  the  schools  once 
a  week,  at  which  time  the  different  classes  were 
sent  to  the  Assembly  Room  for  instructions.  A 
class  studying  'about  Italy  for  example,  would 
first  take  up  such  cities  as  Milan,  Venice,  Flor- 
ence, Rome,  and  Naples,  in  connection  with  which 
places  the  teacher  would  show  biograph  pictures 
relating  to  the  special,  prominent  features  for 
which  they  had  long  been  noted.  It  is  easy  to 
understand  how  much  the  school  children  would 
appreciate  moving  pictures  of  the  eruption  of 
Mt.  Vesuvius,  or  a  trip  through  the  St.  Gothard 
tunnel,  and  it  was  soon  noticed  that  the  examina- 
tion papers  in  geography  showed  remarkable 
improvement.  The  plan  seemed  to  rivet  their  at- 
tention to  the  subject,  and  dates,  as  no  other  pre- 
vious method  had  done. 

Millville  was  to  be  congratulated  upon  having 
such  a  broad-minded  School  Board,  and  through- 
out the  entire  State  of  New  York,  there  was  no 
Board  of  Education  which  enjoyed  greater  dis- 
tinction. Their  enviable  reputation  was  well 
earned,  because  they  were  continually  intro- 
ducing some  new  feature  of  practical  value,  in 
the  schools. 

An  electrical  man  of  broad  experience  was  for 
several  years  the  president  of  the  Board.  Mr. 


276  LOOKING  FORWARD 

A.  L.  Roland's  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Mill- 
ville  had  long  since  been  proved.  Having  gone 
there  to  live  early  in  1890,  he  was  well  qualified 
as  to  the  needs  of  the  city,  and  had  taken  no 
little  share  in  the  improvements  which  had  been 
made  from  year  to  year.  Through  his  effort, 
the  Carnegie  Library  was  successfully  under- 
taken, and  erected,  probably  several  years  before 
it  otherwise  would  have  been  built. 

Not  long  after  he  became  president  of  the 
School  Board,  he  brought  before  that  body,  the 
introduction  of  a  mechanical  and  electrical 
course  for  the  boys.  It  was  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular features  that  could  have  been  raised  at  that 
time,  and  before  the  Board  realized  the  situation 
the  newspapers  expressed  the  views  of  the  public 
and  the  plan  was  an  assured  success  from  the 
start.  It  was  a  matter  of  common  knowledge, 
among  the  parents  of  thau  community,  that  when 
their  boys  reached  the  age  of  twelve  or  thirteen, 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  they  could  hold  their 
attention  to  the  school  studies.  A  great  many  of 
the  boys  had  a  bent  for  mechanical  or  electrical 
matters.  It  was  said  that  they  were  always  tinker- 
ing around  the  house,  fixing  the  electric  door 
bells,  etc.,  and  before  they  realized  it,  the  boys 
had  left  school,  and  were  working  in  the  shops. 
This  new  branch  at  school  consisted  of  a  good 
model  room  with  lathe,  and  tools.  It  was  custo- 
mary to  study  the  design  of  the  smaller  electri- 
cal devices  like  small  motors,  fan  motors,  incan- 
descent lamps,  wiring  devices,  preparatory  to  con- 
tinuing to  study  the  subject  on  a  larger  scale 
later  at  Yoonyun  College.  The  constant  aim  of 
the  School  Board  was  to  study  ways  and  means 
of  holding  the  attention  of  the  boys  during  a 
period  when  they  were  inclined  to  be  restless.  It 


MILLVILLE  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY  277 

was  at  such,  a  period  the  parents  were  anxious 
to  have  them  continue  school,  if  it  were  not  a 
waste  of  time,  and  they  were  glad  to  hear  of 
this  new  departure  in  the  public  schools,  and 
supported  it  in  every  way.  It  was  not  long  be- 
fore other  schools  in  the  State  adopted  the  same 
course,  and  now  electricity  is  brought  to  the  at- 
tention of  the  people  during  their  early  school 
days. 

But  electricity  was  not  to  stop  here,  for  the 
kindergarten  teacher  saw  the  splendid  oppor- 
tunities of  interesting  little  four-year-olds,  by 
fitting  up  her  schoolroom  with  little  electrical 
games.  One  small  contrivance  for  the  baby 
girls  was  to  have  a  motor  turning  a  spindle,  or 
bobbin,  on  to  which  a  ball  of  yarn  could  be 
wound.  She  had  a  miniature  sized  Christmas 
tree  on  which  the  tiniest  incandescent  lamps 
were  placed,  in  little  sockets  and  electric  lights 
were  produced,  much  to  the  amusement  of  the 
children.  Still  another  device  interested  them 
much,  in  the  form  of  a  motor  arranged  by  the 
teacher  so  that  when  a  little  one  turned  a  switch, 
a  big  toy  elephant,  on  the  end  of  a  line,  would  be 
hoisted  up  to  the  ceiling.  At  first  it  took  some 
patience  on  the  part  of  the  teacher  to  under- 
stand the  devices,  and  teach  the  children  how  to 
operate  them.  Her  plan  was  to  teach  such  games 
only  twice  a  week,  and  the  parents  noticed  that 
the  children  talked  continually  about  these  play- 
things, and  could  not  wait  for  the  day  to  come 
when  the  next  kindergarten  lesson  would 
include  the  playing  of  electrical  games. 

While  the  Millville  kindergarten  teacher  was 
the  first  to  introduce  this  method  of  interesting 
children,  yet  it  was  not  long  before  the  scheme 
was  adopted  in  all  the  cities,  and  towns.  The 


278  LOOKING  FORWARD 

merchants  gave  some  study  to  the  subject  also, 
and  continually  demanded  new  electrical  con- 
trivances, and  playthings,  for  birthday  and 
holiday  trade.  Fathers  and  mothers  who  had 
always  found  it  difficult  to  know  what  to  buy  for 
their  children,  commenced  to  fill  up  their  play- 
room with  electrical  playthings.  They  were 
pleased  to  do  it,  not  alone  for  the  pleasure  which 
the  children  derived,  but  they  felt  that  it  was 
a  splendid  and  easy  way  to  educate  the  boy 
along  a  certain  branch  of  science,  which  would 
help  him  later  in  school,  college,  and  in  fact  his 
life  work. 

Nor  did  electricity  stop  here  at  the  age  of  four 
year-olds,  because  the  physicians  of  Millville 
became  enthusiastic  on  the  subject,  and  made  a 
special  study  of  the  applications  which  were 
suitable  for  their  profession.  In  this  way  the 
very  young  babies  were  taught  to  use  electricity, 
and  derived  therefrom  the  greatest  amount  of 
pleasure.  The  electric  baby  milk  warmer 
became  so  popular  that  the  physicians  urged  the 
electrical  companies  to  carry  more  of  them  in 
stock.  They  were  used  much  for  heating  milk, 
and  all  the  babies  in  the  country  recognized 
their  superiority,  and  would  use  no  other  kind 
of  a  milk  warmer.  They  claimed  that  the  milk 
did  not  taste  as  good  when  heated  over  gas,  and 
vowed  they  would  never  drink  any  more  milk 
except  that  which  was  heated  in  the  electric 
milk  warmer.  The  nurses  studied  and  became 
familiar  with  the  electrical  articles  which  were 
necessary  for  them  to  use.  In  one  case  in  Mill- 
ville, the  nurse  used  an  electric  heating  pad  for 
seven  weeks,  keeping  a  new  born  babe 
thoroughly  warm,  and  comfortable  in  its  basket. 
It  was  exceptionally  small,  weighing  only  four 


MILLVILLE,  THE  ELECTRIC  CITY  279 

and  one-half  pounds,  and  with  its  delicate  little 
body  there  was  considerable  concern  lest  it 
should  be  unable  to  stand  the  slight  changes  in 
temperature  to  which  it  must  be  continually 
subjected.  The  doctor  had  said  that  it  must  be 
kept  warm,  and  that  the  easiest,  most  effective, 
and  least  expensive  way  to  do  it,  was  to  use  an 
electric  heating  pad. 

So  the  city  of  Millville  was  first  in  all  the 
world  to  commonize  electricity,  and  its  great 
multitude  of  devices.  Throughout  all  life  it 
became  a  dependence.  In  a  speech  made  by 
Mark  Twain  in  Boston,  in  the  year  1906,  at  a 
public  meeting  for  the  benefit  of  the  San  Fran- 
cisco earthquake  sufferers,  he  dwelt  at  length 
upon  the  habits  of  his  twin  brother  and  himself, 
when  they  were  two  weeks  old.  It  created  great 
amusement  in  the  audience  when  he  mentioned 
the  ease  with  which  his  brother  always  got  his 
milk  first.  He  was  stronger,  and  the  electric 
switch  was  nearer  to  him  than  it  was  to  Mark, 
so  that  about  every  meal  his  brother  was  nearly 
through  eating  before  Mark  commenced.  He 
said  that  they  both  looked  back  upon  their  early 
electrical  training  as  being  of  inestimable  value 
to  them,  later  in  life. 

From  the  cradle  to  the  kindergarten,  in  the 
early  home  life,  then  at  the  public  schools,  in 
the  libraries,  in  the  colleges,  in  the  industrial 
world,  the  commercial  life,  and  throughout 
one's  entire  existence,  electricity  plays  a  most 
important  part. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  DENTIST  AND  PROF.   STOENMITZ. 

Tom  stopped  in,  before  leaving  Millville,  to 
see  Dr.  Warden,  a  very  prominent  dentist  in 
Millville.  He  had  known  him  for  several  years. 

" Doctor,"  said  Tom,  after  a  while,  "I  wish 
you  would  show  me  all  the  electrical  'appliances 
you  have  here  in  the  office.  I  am  much 
interested  in  them." 

"I  should  be  glad  to  do  so,"  said  Doctor. 
"By  the  way,  I  have  just  received  a  splendid 
letter  from  the  President  of  the  American 
Dentists'  Association,  thanking  me  kindly  for 
the  paper  I  recently  read,  at  their  annual  meet- 
ing, regarding  electrical  appliances  for  dentists' 
offices." 

"Well,  it  is  surprising  to  see  how  many 
instruments  you  use,  in  this  business,  which  are 
electrically  operated, ' '  said  Tom.  ' '  I  was  count- 
ing up  the  other  day,"  responded  the  Doctor, 
"and  I  was  surprised  myself  to  find  twenty- 
five  different  electrical  devices,  which  I  have  in 
use  almost  daily.  It  makes  our  work  much 
pleasanter,  and  vastly  more  interesting.  The 
Dental  Magazines  now  devote  considerable  space 
to  the  electrical  department  of  their  papers." 

"Yes,  and  I  have  noticed,"  said  Tom,  "that 
the  electrical  manufacturers  and  the  electrical 
people  in  general,  take  a  great  interest  in  this 


DENTIST  AND  PROF.  STOENMITZ  281 

branch  of  their  business.  For  example,  the 
electrical  companies,  in  their  monthly  bulletins, 
are  devoting  a  good  deal  of  space  to  the  Dental 
Offices.  You  know  those  bulletins  are  now 
divided  up  in  accordance  with  classes  of  busi- 
ness. When  they  were  first  printed,  they  were 
of  a  general  character,  but  as  the  applications 
of  electricity  became  so  varied,  it  was  found 
that  the  bulletins  should  be  classified,  to  be 
easily  handled  and  intelligently  read. ' ' 

"The  bulletin  of  the  Millville  Company  is 
very  popular,"  said  the  doctor,  "here  at  our 
house,  we  look  for  it  each  month.  There  is  always 
interesting  reading  about  some  new  electrical 
installation.  Their  representative  calls  in  here 
occasionally,  and  I  am  glad  to  give  him  any- 
thing of  interest,  which  is  going  on  in  my  line. ' ' 

Tom  inquired  as  to  the  best  tooth  powder  to 
use,  and  the  Doctor  remarked  "that  here  again 
it  was  necessary  for  him  to  talk  about  electricity, 
because  the  powder  which  had  been,  by  all 
means,  the  most  successful,  was  Calox,  a 
preparation  made  from  Electrolysis. 

"In  fact,"  said  Dr.  Warden,  "the  paper 
package  in  which  the  material  is  boxed,  has  a 
picture  of  Niagara  Falls  on  either  end  of  it. 
The  advantage  which  this  tooth  powder  possesses 
over  other  forms,  is  in  connection  with  its  ability 
to  clean  the  teeth,  even  though  the  tooth  brush 
does  not  touch  the  hidden  particles  surround- 
ing the  teeth.  The  powder  when  mixed  with  the 
saliva  of  the  mouth,  causes  a  chemical  -action, 
cutting  away  *any  impurities  around  the  teeth, 
and  cleaning  them  effectively." 

"Does  it  injure  the  enamel  of  the  teeth?" 
asked  Tom. 

"No,"  replied  the  doctor,  "that  is  the  reason 


282  LOOKING  FORWARD 

it  is  such  a  popular  article.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
National  Dental  Association  of  America,  held  in 
Chicago  in  1906,  this  tooth  powder  was  com- 
mented upon  with  great  favor.  The  patented 
principle  involved,  was  considered  as  one  of  the 
greatest  discoveries  in  the  dental  line,  for  many 
years.  A  box  will  last  a  long  time,  and  it  costs 
only  twenty-five  cents,  so  that  millions  of  boxes 
have  been  sold.  It  is  distinctly  an  electrical 
combination,  and  the  electrical  era  has  given 
Calox  a  considerable  boom,  which  it  might  not 
otherwise  have  enjoyed." 

The  doctor  said,  "Tom,  do  you  know  Mill- 
ville  now  possesses  an  enviable  reputation,  as 
far  as  electrical  matters  are  concerned.  It  ranks 
every  city  in  the  world  for  its  variety  of 
applications.  Personally  I  am  much  interested 
in  the  new  Allis  Hospital,  which  was  opened  in 
1907.  Much  thought  and  attention  was  given 
to  the  many  conveniences  made  possible  by  the 
use  of  electricity.  The  wiring  is  the  very  best 
which  the  Electrical  Engineers  could  specify.  In 
all  the  wards  there  are  electrical  radiators  which 
are  appreciated  very  highly,  for  if  there  is 
anything  which  pleases  a  physician,  it  is  to 
avoid  dampness,  .and  have  heat  just  at  the  time 
when  it  is  wanted.  Near  each  cot  there  is  an 
electric  table.  It  answers  the  purpose  for  hold- 
ing books,  flowers,  magazines,  etc.,  but  also  is 
wired  with  outlets,  and  devices  for  heating 
water  and  milk,  and  keeping  foods  warm.  It 
seems  simple  now  to  see  how  useful  such  a  table 
is,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  all  tables  of  the 
kind  should  not  be  made  electrical  for  the 
conveniences  which  we  all  enjoy. 

"All  the  kitchens  are  equipped  with  electrical 
cooking  and  baking  outfits,  and  the  big  ironings 


DENTIST  AND  PROF.  STOENMITZ  283 

are  handled  by  the  electric  flat  irons  which  are 
especially  pleasing. 

* '  The  operating-rooms  are  lighted  in  a  manner 
which  reflects  credit  upon  the  surgeon  who 
arranged  it.  There  is  no  possibility  of  being 
without  light,  even  for  three  seconds,  and  the 
lighting  is  so  arranged  that  dust  cannot  fall  by 
the  movement  of  fixtures. 

"It  was  Dr.  McMolton  who  did  so  much  to 
make  the  hospital  a  model,  as  far  as  electrical 
conveniences  were  concerned.  He  had  visited 
many  of  the  most  important  hospitals  in  the 
country,  and  knew  what  they  lacked,  as  well  as 
their  good  features.  He  claims  that  the  Allis 
Hospital,  of  Millville,  is  the  latest  and  most 
up-to-date  of  any  institution  of  its  kind  in  the 
country.  It  is  said  that  many  Committees  of 
other  hospitals  in  the  North,  East,  "West  and 
South,  have  visited  our  hospital,  and  expressed 
great  satisfaction  at  the  many  new  ideas  gained 
by  such  visit." 

Tom  left  Dr.  Warden's  office,  after  expressing 
his  hearty  appreciation  for  the  interesting 
things  he  had  told  him. 

That  evening  he  had  an  invitation  up  to  the 
Chapter  House  at  the  College  to  dinner.  He 
had  always  been  a  great  favorite  among  the 
college  boys. 

About  7  o  'clock  they  sat  down  to  dinner.  The 
conversation  naturally  drifted  on  to  the  subject 
of  Yoonyun  College.  A  young  man,  by  the 
name  of  Mr.  Wood,  spoke  very  highly  of  the 
electrical  course  at  Yoonyun.  He  said  he  was 
taking  a  post-graduate  course  in  electrical 
engineering.  Before  deciding  upon  his  course, 
he  had  investigated  the  subject  with  much  care. 
He  said  it  was  surprising  what  a  great  reputa- 


284  LOOKING  FORWARD 

tion  this  college  possessed,  and  the  name  of 
Professor  Stoenmitz  was  upon  the  lips  of  every 
student,  far  and  wide,  who  had  any  intention 
of  attending  Yoonyun.  This  young  man's  home 
was  out  in  Michigan,  yet  Dr.  Stoenmitz 's  name 
was  as  well  known  in  that  section  as  in  the  East. 
Mr.  Wood  felt  that  such  feelings  were  warranted, 
when  considering  the  character  of  the  course 
which  Yoonyun  offered  and  the  facilities  with 
which  the  young  men  were  favored.  Their 
laboratory  apparatus  was  of  the  latest  and  most 
approved  type,  and  Dr.  Stoenmitz  had  made  a 
special  point  of  educating  young  men  particu- 
larly on  current  consuming  devices,  and  the 
latest  and  best  samples  of  all  kinds  of  instru- 
ments and  meters,  transformers,  arc  lamps, 
incandescent  lamps,  fan  motors,  wires  and  cables 
and  heating  devices,  were  to  be  found  in  that 
famous  electrical  engineering  laboratory. 

Mr.  Wood  said,  "The  boys  look  forward  with 
the  keenest  interest  to  the  lectures  by  Dr. 
Stoenmitz.  No  matter  what  the  subject  is,  he 
surrounds  it  with  such  attractiveness,  and 
makes  it  so  plain  to  us  that  we  all  listen 
intently. 

"And,  after  the  lecture,  we  discuss  among 
ourselves,  how  he  can  possibly  keep  so  well 
posted  on  all  kinds  of  electric  material.  He 
never  uses  notes,  and  yet  his  detailed  familiarity 
with  the  smallest  parts  of  small  devices,  is 
remarkable.  There  are  many,  among  the  classes, 
who  have  found  difficulty  in  appreciating 
certain  points  well,  until  Dr.  Stoenmitz  had 
made  them  perfectly  clear,  in  a  few  words.  He 
has  a  way  of  presenting  a  subject,  which  attracts 
our  attention  at  once,  and  gives  us  a  clear 
understanding,  of  the  matter.  Of  course,  we 


DENTIST  AND  PROF.  STOENMITZ  285 

feel  that  Dr.  Stoenmitz 's  experience,  past  and 
present,  is  such,  as  to  render  him  a  very  able 
man  on  electrical  matters. 

''The  popularity  which  he  enjoys  among  the 
students,  proves  the  truth  of  this  statement. 
Students  admire  ability,  and  when  a  Professor 
combines  ability  with  a  wonderful  way  of 
presenting  his  ideas,  then  is  his  reputation 
established. 

"Of  course  each  year  the  reputation  of  the 
Yoonyun  Engineering  course,  is  extending 
throughout  the  world,  and  the  college  may  be 
heartily  congratulated  upon  having  such  a  man 
associated  with  its  interests." 

"What  you  have  said,  Mr.  Wood,  interests 
me  very  much/'  said  Tom.  "I  have  often 
listened  to  Dr.  Stoenmitz  talk  before  large  elec- 
trical conventions.  The  impression  he  always 
creates  is  long  remembered,  and  talked  about,  by 
those  who  were  present.  As  he  rises  to  speak, 
there  is  silence  in  the  hall.  His  presence  on  the 
floor  commands  immediate  attention.  Some  of 
the  audience  listen  because  they  enjoy  the  clever 
manner  in  which  he  presents  his  arguments. 
Others,  however,  have  told  me,  that  they  always 
learn  a  great  deal  when  Dr.  Stoenmitz  talks  at 
a  convention.  It  makes  little  difference  what 
subject  is  being  discussed,  he  usually  presents 
some  point  of  interest,  which  has  not  been 
raised. ' ' 

Tom  further  continued,  "Asdde  from  the  elec- 
trical business  Dr.  Stoenmitz  is  also  a  genial 
person.  I  have  spent  many  a  pleasant  evening 
with  him,  and  have  met  him  occasionally  on  the 
train  traveling  to  Boston,  or  perhaps  on  the 
way  to  some  convention.  I  never  knew  him  to 
show  any  signs  of  annoyance  at  the  questions  on 


286  LOOKING  FORWARD 

electrical  matters,  which  are  put  to  him,  and 
some  of  them  are  almost  foolish;  and  many 
persons  step  up  and  speak  to  him,  without  any 
object  in  view,  except  to  say  that  they  have 
talked  to  him. 

"Considering  the  character  of  his  work,  his 
accomplishments  and  the  great  amount  of  time 
which  he  has  given  to  the  electrical  subject  to 
effect  such  accomplishments,  it  is  wonderful  that 
he  is  able  to  exhibit  such  a  happy  disposition 
at  all  times. 

"His  home  life  is  exceedingly  pleasant.  The 
residence  of  Dr.  Stoenmitz  is  one  of  the  best  in 
Millville,  surrounded  by  several  acres  of  wood- 
land territory.  Much  taste  and  botanical  skill 
has  been  exhibited  in  the  arrangement  of  the 
gardens,  the  beautiful  hedge  in  the  front,  and 
the  tall  poplars  extending  back  into  the  yard, 
where  hundreds  of  tall  pines  perfume  the  air 
and  are  conducive  in  great  degree  to  vigor  and 
health. 

"But  all  of  these  are  minor  considerations 
compared  with  the  electrical  features  of  Dr. 
Stoenmitz 's  residence.  It  is  probably  the  most 
wonderful  in  the  world,  as  far  as  electricity  is 
concerned.  He  personally  laid  out  the  wiring, 
planned  his  switchboard,  and  arranged  the 
lights.  Every  conceivable  kind  of  device  must 
have  been  seen,  sat  some  time  or  other,  in  his 
laboratory.  I  have  seen  there,  all  kinds  of  light, 
from  all  kinds  of  current,  and  from  multitudes 
of  shapes  and  styles  and  forms  of  lamps.  His 
conservatory  contains  a  large  variety  of  cacti, 
which  are  rich  in  many  shades  of  green.  To 
that  which  already  appeared  beautiful  and 
thrifty  in  its  own  world  of  green  color,  he  added 
a  remarkable  richness  by  illuminating  the  room 


DENTIST  AND  PROF.  STOENMITZ  287 

with  electric  lights,  producing  rich  shades  of 
green. 

1  'In  an  auxiliary  greenhouse  ten  feet  away 
from  the  large  one,  there  is  a  large  geranium 
bed,  with  blossoms  abundant  and  rich  in  red. 
In  this  room  he  had  installed  lights  which  had  a 
spectrum  rich  in  the  red,  and  lent  brilliancy  in 
color  to  the  geraniums,  which  were  beautiful 
under  the  ordinary  light  of  day. 

"And  in  the  wall  decorations  in  his  house, 
special  study  was  given  to  the  colors  of  the 
tapestries  and  the  character  of  the  furniture,  so 
as  to  harmonize  with  the  electrical  fixtures  and 
the  color  of  the  illumination. 

"I  have  always  taken  much  interest  in  this 
house,"  continued  Tom,  "because  it  has  been 
distinctly  electrical,  from  the  time  the  first  stone 
in  the  foundation  was  laid.  I  do  not  know  of 
any  place  in  the  world,  which,  has  been  so 
identified  with  electrical  subjects,  <as  this  home 
and  laboratory  of  Dr.  Stoenmitz." 

The  evening  drew  to  a  close  all  too  soon,  and 
as  the  boys  bade  him  good  night  and  good-bye 
for  a  time  at  least,  Tom  felt  that  surely  he  was 
leaving  behind  many  good  friends  in  the  dear 
old  city  of  Millville. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

ELECTRIC  ARC  LIGHTING. 

Just  before  leaving  for  Northington,  Tom 
walked  up  toward  the  new  section  of  the  city, 
in  the  hope  of  meeting  one  or  two  of  'his  old 
friends.  He  was  just  passing  the  house  of  Mr. 
E.  J.  Bergmann,  when  he  called  to  him  from 
the  piazza  to  come  up  and  sit  down. 

Mr.  Bergmann  was  one  of  the  most  prominent 
political  men  in  Millville,  having  been  for  many 
years  a  very  popular  alderman,  and  this 
particular  year  had  just  been  elected  Mayor  of 
the  city.  It  was  an  honor  which  he  had  earned 
by  the  exercise  of  principles  in  politics,  which 
met  with  the  hearty  approval  of  the  people.  He 
was  a  candidate  of  the  people,  and  combined 
with  a  character  and  habits  based  upon  the  best 
principles  of  life,  he  soon  became  a  political 
power.  He  had  been  connected  with  the  elec- 
trical industry  for  nearly  twenty-five  years, 
having  been  associated  with  Thomas  A. 
Edmunds  in  the  early  days  of  electricity.  It 
was  a  treat  to  hear  'him  reminisce  about  the 
experiments  and  trials,  through  which  they 
passed,  way  back  in  the  early  80  's. 

The  conversation  drifted  onto  the  subject  of 
street  lighting,  when  he  said,  "that  luminometer 
which  we  have  in  the  office  of  the  Street  Light- 
ing Committee,  is  one  of  the  best  illumination 


ELECTRIC  ARC  LIGHTING        289 

instruments  I  have  ever  seen.  The  city  has  a 
contract  with  the  Illuminating  Company,  and  I 
do  not  know  of  any  other  contract  on  its  files, 
which  is  so  easy  to  interpret,  and  so  mutually 
satisfactory,  as  that  one. 

Before  the  Lighting  Committee  knew  of  that 
instrument,  there  was  a  feeling  on  the  part  of 
the  city  officers,  that  we  had  no  good  oppor- 
tunity of  checking  up  the  rating  of  our  street 
lamps.  But  with  this  luminometer  a  test  can 
be  made  at  any  time,  upon  the  order  of  the 
Chairman  of  the  Lighting  Committee.  By 
reference  to  the  contract,  it  is  known,  just  what 
size  of  print  can  be  read  with  a  luminometer, 
and  it  is  the  simplest  method  of  rating  illumina- 
tion. Every  test  we  have  ever  made,  has  shown 
our  lamps  to  be  exactly  in  accordance  with  the 
contract.  The  city  has  never  been  concerned 
about  the  candlepower  of  the  lamp,  near  it  and 
under  it.  What  we  have  and  need,  is  the  lamp 
giving  the  best  distribution  and  light,  on  all 
sides,  at  the  distance  of  150  to  200  feet  from  its 
location.  Then  you  see,  by  having  lamps  every 
300  or  400  feet  apart,  all  through  the  city,  we 
are  especially  well  lighted.  There  is  not  a  fire 
hydrant  in  our  entire  city,  which  is  not  well 
illuminated.  Our  fire  chief  has  advised  me 
many  times,  that  he  was  much  pleased  with  the 
street  illumination  in  Millville.  We  have  now 
about  2,000  arc  lamps,  and  I  understand  that 
they  are  the  best  which  the  art  affords. " 

"Yes,"  said  Tom,  "this  is  a  well-lighted  city, 
and  it  ought  to  be.  The  officers  of  the  city,  and 
the  people  in  general,  have  taken  a  great  interest 
in  electrical  matters  here,  and  they  have  had 
faith  in  the  Electrical  Company  to  do  what  was 
right  and  for  their  mutual  interest.  Many  cities 


290  LOOKING  FORWARD 

have  felt  in  the  past,  that  whenever  the  elec- 
trical companies  had  a  new  arc  lighting  system 
in  view,  that  they  must  look  sharp,  or  the  candle- 
power  of  the  lamp  would  not  be  up  where  it 
should  be.  If  every  alderman  in  the  country,  who 
is  considering  the  approval  of  a  street  lamp  for 
his  city  or  town,  would  study  the  street-light 
luminometer,  there  would  be  no  more  difficulties 
between  the  city  and  the  Illuminating  Company, 
in  regard  to  the  volume  of  light  from  electric 
street  arcs. 

"How  about  that  long  burning  luminous 
arc/'  asked  Mr.  Bergmann,  "has  it  been  as 
popular  throughout  the  country  as  it  has  been 
here?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom,  "it  took  a  big  start  in 
1907.  The  lamps  are  particularly  well  adapted 
to  certain  circuits  like  those  in  Millville.'  They 
operate  direct  from  this  circuit,  without  the  use 
of  revolving  machinery  in  the  station. 

"The  system  is  remarkable.  The  best  elec- 
trical engineers  in  the  country  have  shown  their 
approval,  by  adopting  it  for  their  street 
illumination  requirements. ' ' 

"The  people,  however,  are  most  interested  in 
the  character  of  the  arc,"  said  Mr.  Bergmann. 
"When  our  Lighting  Committee  investigated  the 
subject,  they  were  much  impressed  with  the 
brilliancy  which  the  arc  exhibited,  and  its  rich 
silvery  color.  Its  ability  to  distribute  the  light 
just  where  it  is  wanted,  on  the  street,  was  also 
noted  carefully.  Another  point,  which  makes 
it  popular,  is  its  long  burning  feature.  It 
burns  the  longest  of  any  arc  lamp  which  was 
ever  designed. 

"That  is  an  excellent  point,  in  connection 
with  busy  city  streets,  because  the  lamps  are 


ELECTRIC  ABC  LIGHTING         291 

not  disturbed,  but  once  in  about  fifteen  days, 
and  longer  than  this  in  Summer  time.  I  can 
well  understand  why  they  have  been  so 
popular. ' ' 

"All  the  large  cities  in  the  country  have 
adopted  them, ' '  said  Tom,  *  *  and  several  hundred 
thousand  lamps  are  now  burning  nightly, 
throughout  our  cities  and  towns.  Considering 
the  great  field  for  these  lamps,  -and  the  desire 
on  the  part  of  Illuminating  Companies  and 
Cities  to  adopt  them,  it  is  a  pleasure  to  have  -an 
instrument,  like  the  luminometer,  for  accurately 
and  properly  presenting  the  light  to  the  non- 
technical public. 

"Prof.  W.  D.  A.  Rhine  first  introduced  the 
device,  in  its  commercial  form,  and  it  is  only 
one  of  many  scientific  illumination  instruments, 
designed  by  him,  which  have  been  of  much  value 
to  the  electrical  industry,  to  the  merchants,  to 
industrial  concerns  and  the  people  in  general. 

"His  most  recent  invention  relates  to  an 
instrument  for  measuring  the  illumination  of 
interiors.  It  is  called  an  interior  photometer. 

"With  this  instrument  electrical  companies 
have  been  able  to  visit  a  merchant's  store,  tell 
him  quickly  how  much  illumination  he  already 
has,  and  take  his  order  for  so  much  more, 
rearranged  and  properly  distributed,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  requirements. 

"This  instrument  has  been  particularly 
popular  with  the  merchants,  in  all  parts  of  the 
country. ' ' 

"Another  scheme  of  Prof.  Rhine/'  said  Tom, 
"has  been  to  combine  the  use  of  the  biograph 
machine,  with  his  scientific  illumination  instru- 
ments, for  the  purpose  of  proving  absolutely 
the  theory  of  colors  in  connection  with  the 


292  LOOKING  FORWARD 

electric  arc.  He  was  able  to  take  most  beautiful 
views  of  the  arc,  in  colors,  by  reason  of  the 
inventions  of  the  biograph  engineers,  who  have 
recently  made  a  great  success  of  color  motion 
pictures.  In  his  lectures,  Prof.  Rhine  would 
throw  on  the  screen  all  kinds  of  electric  lights, 
in  colors,  then  show  and  describe  their 
respective  spectroscopic  views,  making  it  very 
plain  to  his  audience  that  the  electric  arc  could 
be  relied  upon,  absolutely,  for  the  reproduction 
of  colors,  whereas  much  difficulty  would  be 
experienced  with  all  other  forms  of  light." 

"I  suppose/'  said  Mr.  Bergmann,  "that  it 
was  this  character  of  work,  upon  Prof.  Rhine's 
part,  which  led  the  Glendale  Electric  Company 
to  establish  the  great  Illuminating  Engineering 
Laboratory  here  which  I  understand  has  made 
a  great  reputation  for  itself. " 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom,  "the  illuminating 
engineering  between  the  years  of  1900  and  1906 
involved  a  great  deal  of  hard  work,  much 
expense  and  a  vast  amount  of  patience,  but  as 
we  now  look  back  upon  those  years,  it  is  most 
interesting  to  reflect  upon  many  of  the 
problems.  At  times,  they  seemed  very  compli- 
cated and  exceedingly  difficult  to  solve,  but  the 
great  value  of  those  years  was  in  connection 
with  the  firm  foundation  established  for 
illuminating  engineering.  It  was  that  founda- 
tion which  has  made  the  large  laboratory  a 
marked  success,  and  it  is  known  all  over  the 
country  to  be  equipped  with  the  latest  and 
most  up-to-date  light  measuring  instruments 
and  capable  of  rendering  expert  opinion  on  any 
part  of  the  subject  of  illumination.  Best  of 
all,  however,  it  has  men  experienced  in  tha 
study  of  the  subject,  so  that  large  illumination 


CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION     293 

problems  can  be  undertaken,  and  carried  out 
practically,  with  the  best  results  possible  to 
obtain.  This  is  the  kind  of  reputation  which 
the  laboratory  is  known  to  enjoy,  and  every  bit 
of  it  has  been  earned  and  is  deserved/' 

And  the  afternoon  gradually  stole  upon  the 
twilight.  Tom  had  reached  his  old  boarding- 
house  and  went  out  on  the  piazza  to  smoke  his 
cigar.  He  caught  a  last  glimpse  of  the  sun  as 
it  went  down  behind  the  mountains.  It  was 
just  at  the  gap  between  the  hills,  where  all  the 
trains  passed  through  to  the  West.  In  the  years 
gone  by,  it  had  been  a  common  sight  to  see  the 
great  black  clouds  of  smoke,  curling  up  in 
peculiar  fashion,  from  the  smokestack  of  steam 
engines,  puffing  and  steaming  with  their  heavy 
loads,  and  wending  their  weary  way  along  the 
famous  railroad,  so  well  known  to  Millville 
people  and  the  world  in  general. 

But  now,  the  smoke  curls  no  more.  Like  the 
camp  fire  of  the  Indian,  through  the  Mohegan 
Valley,  it  has  gone  forever.  The  hills  have  taken 
on  a  fresher  appearance.  The  trees,  on  the 
mountain  sides,  look  more  thrifty.  For  more 
than  half  a  century  they  had  been  absorbing 
the  smoke  and  dust  of  the  old  steam  brutes, 
and .  were  gradually  being  choked  out  of 
existence.  Nor  was  there  any  smoke  from  the 
old  Locomotive  Works,  which  lay  in  between  the 
piazza  view  and  the  mountains,  for  these  great 
shops  were  now  operated  by  Electric  Motors, 
and  all  applications  of  light,  heat  and  power 
were  electric. 

So,  on  this  particular  evening,  he  enjoyed  the 
gorgeous  sunset  in  all  its  glory,  neither 
obstructed  by  smoke,  nor  dirt,  nor  dust,  but 
clear  and  brilliant,  filled  with  richness  in  color. 


294  LOOKING  FORWARD 

And  the  afterglow  was  wonderfully  beautiful. 
The  reds  took  on  a  higher  tone  of  color,  and 
the  sky  was  filled  with  richer  and  more  gorgeous 
blues  than  in  times  past,  because  the  atmosphere 
was  so  purely  free  from  smoke  and  dust  that  the 
light  possessed  marvelous  strength  and  intensity, 
unhampered  by  the  smoke,  steam  and  cinders, 
through  which,  colors,  originally  rich  and 
brilliant,  lose  their  intensity,  becoming  sluggish, 
pale  and  faint. 

The  beautiful  Mohegan  Valley  lay  stretched 
before  him,  and  beyond,  in  the  distance,  the 
Adirondacks  furnished  the  background  for  a 
grand,  picturesque  scene.  But  what  are  those 
objects  moving  along  the  Erie  Canal  which  can 
be  seen  so  plainly !  Why,  they  are  Electric  Motor 
Boats,  so  commonly  used  nowadays  along  that 
new  highway  for  commercial  transportation. 
The  grass  is  not  growing  in  the  Erie  Canal,  for 
the  people  of  York  State,  having  spent  their 
money  for  vast  improvements,  have  successfully 
commercialized  the  scheme,  and  a  marvelously 
extensive  business  is  being  conducted  on  this 
famous  old  waterway. 

Early  in  the  morning  Tom  took  train  for 
Northington,  sorry  to  leave  his  dear  old  friends, 
but  glad  to  return  to  Evelyn,  who,  within  a  few 
days,  would  be  his  own  wife  and  lifelong  com- 
panion. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE   COOPERATIVE  ELECTRICAL  IMPROVEMENT 
ASSOCIATION. 

Tom  Appleton  had  returned  from  Millville 
and  found  everybody  exceedingly  busy  arrang- 
ing for  the  wedding.  Many  guests  had  already 
arrived,  and  among  them  Tom  and  Evelyn 
were  very  much  pleased  to  have  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Giddings,  of  San  Francisco,  present. 

One  evening  'after  dinner,  Tom  and  Giddings 
sat  down  to  talk  over  matters. 

"Well,"  said  Giddings,  "it  seems  incredible 
that  such  a  tremendous  gain  could  be  made  in 
any  one  industry  in  such  a  short  time.  There 
must  have  been  some  very  particularly, 
aggressive  and  concerted  action  to  bring  about 
such  results." 

"There  was,"  said  Tom.  "A  plan  of  co- 
operation was  conceived  by  J.  Robert  Grossman 
as  early  as  the  year  1904.  His  ideas  were 
nursed  in  a  practical  manner  through  the  manu- 
facturing organization  in  which  he  was 
associated.  In  1905  he  appeared  before  the 
National  Electric  Light  Association,  and  pre- 
sented his  views  very  broadly  in  a  paper  before 
that  body.  A  committee  was  appointed  by  the 
association  to  co-operate  with  the  Manufacturers 
Committee,  and  during  the  year  an  organization 
was  formed,  known  as  the  Co-operative  Elec- 
trical Improvement  Association." 

295 


296  LOOKING  FORWAKD 

"What  was  the  exact  object  of  this  associa- 
tion?" asked  Giddings. 

' '  The  scheme  was  essentially  a  cooperative  one, 
having  for  its  object  the  growth  of  the  industry ; 
also  to  popularize  and  commonize  the  use  of  the 
electric  current  among  all  classes  of  the  people, ' ' 
said  Tom. 

"This  'association, "  continued  Tom,  "had 
representative  members,  on  its  Board,  from 
every  branch  of  the  industry  interested.  For 
example,  the  furniture  dealer  took  a  keen 
interest  in  the  organization  because  the  electrical 
engineers  had  studied  (a  way  for  electrifying 
furniture.  The  McDowall  Cabinet  Company 
was  the  first  to  popularize  the  plan  by  advertis- 
ing Electric  Kitchen  Cabinets.  Then  a  Mirror 
Concern  introduced  a  line  of  mirrors  with 
incandescent  lights  mounted  on  either  side.  It 
became  very  common  to  purchase  dining-room 
tables  all  wired  for  convenient  use  of  electric 
appliances. ' ' 

"I  presume,1"  said  Giddings,  "that  the 
Wiring  Contractors,  Jobbers,  Dealers  and  Elec- 
trical Salesmen  were  interested." 

"Yes,"  replied  Tom,  "and  so  were  the  Trades 
Papers,  Magazines,  and  even  the  Contractors 
who  built  houses.  The  Association  advanced 
arguments  in  favor  of  contractors  using  electric 
tools  among  their  carpenters.  Much  time  and 
labor  could  be  saved,  and  when  bidding  on  a 
new  house,  the  contractor  who  was  up-to-date 
on  such  matters  usually  secured  the  contract. 
As  soon  as  he  broke  ground  for  the  cellar,  his 
electric  tool  wagon  was  brought  on  the  scene.  A 
large  electric  hoist  and  crane  were  included  in 
the  outfit,  and  boulders  and  large  stones  were 
quickly  removed,  as  well  as  the  excavation  of 


CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION     297 

dirt.  Heavy  stones  for  foundations  were  raised 
and  lowered,  and  moved  sideways,  and  it  seems 
nowadays  as  if  a  house  could  not  be  built  with- 
out this  electrical  tool  wagon." 

"Did  the  Electrical  Company  consider  such 
contractors  as  good  customers,  as  merchants  and 
residents?"  asked  Giddings. 

"Yes,  they  were  considered  particularly  good, 
because  they  used  all  the  current  during  the  day 
time  and  very  large  quantities  during  the  Sum- 
mer Season  when  Electrical  Companies  were 
looking  for  such  business." 

"The  people,"  said  Giddings,  "seldom  stop  to 
think  that  in  the  early  days  of  electricity,  the 
electrical  companies  had  no  other  business  but 
furnishing  light  at  night." 

' '  But,  now-a-days, ' '  said  Tom,  ' '  their  business 
is  like  the  railroad  business,  a  twenty-four-hour 
service ,  and  better  than  the  merchant 's  line, 
which  deals  mostly  with  daylight  customers. 
The  electrical  business  today,  covers  the  entire 
twenty-four  hours,  and  it  is  so  arranged  that  the 
load  is  practically  as  large  at  night  as  during 
the  day ;  although  in  1908  and  '09  the  motor  and 
heating  business  had  grown  so  rapidly  that 
everybody  had  to  hustle  to  bring  up  the  lighting 
end  of  the  industry. 

"You  see,  Giddings,"  said  Tom,  "how  beauti- 
ful is  the  principle  of  the  scheme  of  co-operation. 
In  quoting  from  Mr.  J.  Robert  Grossman's 
paper  in  1906,  he  referred  to  the  objects  of  the 
new  association  as  follows: 

"One  of  the  most  important  objects  is  the 
establishment  of  co-operative  relations,  both 
moral  and  financial,  among  the  different  elec- 
trical interests,  the  manufacturer  and  the  peo- 
ple, to  the  end  that  each  may  contribute  in 


298  LOOKING  FORWARD 

some  measure  toward  bringing  about  the  results 
desired  in  common  by  all." 

"But  why  did  he  include  the  people/'  said 
Giddings,  ' '  what  interest  have  they  ? ' ' 

' '  They  have  a  very  great  interest,  and  by  all 
means  are  properly  included.  I  will  give  one 
illustration  to  show  how  the  plans  cooperate 
with  the  daily  lives  of  the  people.  The  New 
York  American  and  Journal  sent  out,  with  their 
Sunday  papers  a  set  of  postal  cards,  regarding 
Buster  Brown  and  Tige,  with  instructions  to  all 
children,  that  if  they  would  run  a  hot  flat  iron 
over  the  blank  spots  on  the  cards,  a  picture 
would  appear,  showing  what  Buster  and  Tige 
were  doing.  Well,  this  became  very  popular, 
but  it  increased  greatly  in  favor,  when  the 
paper  offered  Miniature  Electric  Flat-Irons  to 
do  the  heating,  called  'The  Children's  Iron.' 
Every  child  in  our  neighborhood  sent  for  one, 
and  the  little  girls  used  the  iron  for  pressing 
their  dolls'  clothes.  It  was  the  most  popular  elec- 
tric device  introduced  that  year,  and  the  people 
began  to  feel  a  great  interest  in  such  things. ' ' 

* '  Yes,  I  can  understand  what  you  mean, ' '  said 
Giddings.  "It  is  practically  a  covenant  on  the 
part  of  the  electrical  industry  that  its  engineers 
and  other  representatives,  will  study  the 
demands  of  the  people  for  conveniences. ' ' 

"Some  of  Grossman's  ideas  were  considered 
a  trifle  advanced,  especially  by  the  conservative. 
One  idea,  in  particular  seemed  at  that  time,  to 
be  unusually  radical,  but  it  has  turned  out 
especially  well.  It  was  the  idea  of  each  member 
of  an  association  passing  on  to  some  other  mem- 
ber, the  advantages  which  electricity  offered  in 
all  phases  of  life.  Traveling  men  would  agree 
to  patronize  those  hotels,  shops  and  stores, 


CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION     299 

where  electricity  was  found  to  be  most  plenti- 
fully used.  It  was  a  cooperative  idea,  and 
created  the  phrase,  'All  Together,  all  the  Time, 
for  Everything  Electrical/  " 

* '  Grossman  must  have  been  a  very  aggressive 
man,"  said  Giddings. 

''He  was,"  replied  Tom,  "and  he  was  well 
qualified  to  make  a  grand  success,  which 
this  year  of  1912  has  shown.  He  seemed  to  be 
an  indefatigable  worker,  and  had  studied  the 
subject  so  thoroughly,  and  accumulated  so  much 
data  for  illustrating  his  points,  that  skillful 
presentation  was  cultivated  in  a  marked  degree, 
and  was  not  the  least  important  part  of  his  suc- 
cess. 

"In  one  of  his  papers,  he  said,  ' There  are 
additional  to  those  in  the  electrical  field,  who  are 
naturally  directly  interested  in  the  wiring  of  new 
construction  work,  the  following  list  in  other 
fields,  having  more  or  less  to  do  with  the  ques- 
tion of  wiring  buildings: 
5,206  Architects 

2,433  Large  Building  Companies 
2,786  General  Contractors 

42,516  Real  Estate  Agents 

40,416  Carpenters  and  Builders 


93,357  Total/3 

"I  can  commence  to  appreciate,"  said  Gid- 
dings, "the  great  opportunity  for  such  an 
association. ' ' 

"It  was  well  organized,  on  co-operative  lines," 
said  Tom,  "and  behind  it  there  was  a 
tremendous  power  in  the  form  of  the  Electrical 
Engineering  Society  with  its  great  organization ; 
also  great  inventions  were  continually  being 
introduced,  and  this  Association  appreciated  that 


300  LOOKING  FORWARD 

the  field  for  their  work  would  ever  be  an 
enormously  increasing  one.  They  also  had 
studied  the  power  and  force  of  advertising 
mediums,  such  as  periodicals,  magazines  and 
newspapers  issued  to  the  American  people/' 

"I  can  appreciate  that,"  said  Giddings,  "for 
I  had  opportunity  some  six  years  ago  to  investi- 
gate the  mediums  through  which  advertisements 
might  reach  the  people.  I  was  surprised  to 
learn  that  between  8,000,000  and  9,000,000 
pieces  of  literature  were  issued  annually  to  the 
people.  Think  of  the  great  opportunity  of 
acquainting  the  public  with  electrical  matters, 
after  deciding  that  it  was  a  good  plan  to  do  so. ' ' 

"When  this  Association  was  formed  the  elec- 
trical business  had  been  under-advertised.  The 
business  had  grown  so  rapidly  and  so  much 
engineering  work  had  been  necessary,  that  the 
electrical  companies  had  met  with  difficulty  in 
arranging  large  supplies  of  current  for  pushing 
the  commercial  side  of  its  business.  But  at  the 
time  this  Association  was  formed,  great  changes 
had  taken  place.  The  Electrical  Companies  had 
studied  their  requirements  and  planned  for 
surplus  current,  so  as  to  pronounce  to  the  people 
that  they  were  ready  to  offer  them  great  con- 
veniences. Therefore  when  the  plan  started, 
the  organization  was  large  and  equipped  to 
handle  the  business  well." 

"Were  the  manufacturers  ready,  also?"  said 
Giddings. 

"Yes,  they  were,"  replied  Tom,  "and  here, 
at  this  point  in  our  talk,  I  should  tell  you  that 
among  the  organizations  of  the  electrical  manu- 
facturing companies  there  were  exceedingly 
bright  men,  fully  the  equal  of  the  personnel 
among  the  local  electrical  companies.  The 


CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION     301 

factories  had  men  studying  the  subject  from  the 
standpoint  of  the  people;  and  likewise  the 
engineers  of  the  local  companies  possessed  a 
fund  of  information  regarding  the  design  of 
new  material,  its  testing,  inspecting,  etc. 
The  foundation  had  been  well  laid  for  a  grand 
campaign,  and  the  Co-operative  Electrical 
Improvement  Association  was  born  just  at  the 
right  time/' 

Tom  continued  further:  "An  excellent  illus- 
tration of  the  manner  in  which  the  people's  de- 
mands were  studied  refers  to  the  Hylo  Lamp. 
The  Company  that  developed  and  manufactured 
this  lamp  knew  positively  that  it  had  merit.  It 
was  convenient  in  a  bed  room,  a  hall,  or  for  a 
dozen  different  purposes  in  the  home.  It  was 
economical,  and  the  people  applaud  an  economi- 
cal device.  The  Co-operative  Developmental  Im- 
provement Association  helped  the  people  to 
know  about  this  lamp  earlier  than  they  might 
have  known  otherwise. ' ? 

"Wasn't  it  likewise  true  about  the  glower 
lamp?"  asked  Giddings. 

"Quite  so,"  answered  Tom,  "the  manufactur- 
ers particularly  emphasized  the  distribution  of 
light  in  a  downward  direction,  because  they  had 
studied  the  use  of  light  practically  by  the  peo- 
ple. They  knew  that  if  light  was  wanted  on  the 
table  in  front  of  you,  it  was  foolish  to  distribute 
the  illumination  all  over  the  room  in  every  other 
direction.  This  glower  lamp  furnished  a  beauti- 
ful light,  which  was  demanded  by  the  merchants 
quite  generally  as  early  as  the  years  1905  and 
'06.  It  represented  an  advance  in  the  art  of 
illumination,  which  the  Co-operative  Association 
helped  the  people  to  understand  in  many 
practical  ways," 


302  LOOKING  FORWARD 

"What  about  the  foreign  countries ?"  asked 
Giddings. 

'  *  They  watched  the  progress  of  the  American 
Association  and  by  1907  the  results  were  such  as 
to  induce  them  to  organize  along  similar  lines. 
England  and  Germany  were  first  to  study  the 
matter.  Mr.  J.  Robert  Grossman  was  given  a 
most  cordial  invitation  to  meet  prominent  elec- 
trical men  in  London  and  Berlin,  which  he 
gladly  accepted,  and  helped  them  to  get  started. ' ' 

"They  all  must  have  been  very  serious, "  said 
Giddings,  "only  great  earnestness  and  persist- 
ency could  bring  about  the  marvelous  results  so 
quickly. ' ' 

"All  the  electrical  men  were  earnest, "  said 
Tom,  "they  wore  a  pin  on  the  lapel  of  their 
coat,  emblematical  of  the  organization,  and  like 
a  college  fraternity,  there  was  a  certain  dignity 
surrounding  it  which  kept  the  profession  'All 
Together,  all  the  Time,  for  Everything  Elec- 
trical. '" 

"The  National  Electrical  Association,  was 
formerly  known  by  another  name,  was  it  not?" 
asked  Giddings. 

"Yes,  its  name  was  changed  to  the  National 
Electrical  Association  in  1907.  At  each  annual 
meeting  a  Progress  Report  was  read,  to  which 
great  importance  was  attached.  These  reports 
not  only  gave  many  statistics  which  were  valu- 
able, regarding  old  branches  of  the  business,  but 
were  particularly  of  value  in  connection  with 
the  new  fields.  For  example,  it  was  the  Progress 
Report  which  attracted  so  much  attention  be- 
fore the  Convention  in  1907,  on  Electric  Heat- 
ing Devices,  that  led  to  a  change  in  the  Associa- 
tion's name.  This  branch  of  the  business  had 
grown  so  large,  as  well  as  the  Motor  business, 


CO-OPERATIVE  ASSOCIATION      303 

that  it  was  not  considered  right  and  proper  any 
longer  to  call  it  the  National  Electric  Light 
Association. ' ' 

"What  was  the  attitude  of  this  organization, 
in  regard  to  the  Cooperative  Electrical  Improve- 
ment Association  ? ' '  asked  Giddings. 

"It  was  very  favorable  to  it,"  replied  Tom. 
"I  remember  well  that  the  1906  Progress 
Report  made  special  reference  to  the  new 
point  of  departure.  It  said  that  that  year 
seemed  to  mark  tihe  beginning  of  a  new  period  in 
the  development  of  electric  light,  heat  and 
power  in  the  United  States;  that  the  Elec- 
trical Companies  had  united  upon  a  commercial 
propaganda  to  sell  much  larger  quantities  of 
current  than  ever  before,  because  they  were  so 
well  prepared  to  do  it.  It  was  further  pointed 
out  that  while  technical  changes  and  engineering 
improvements  would  not  cease,  a  marvelous 
interest  was  being  evinced  in  connection  with 
the  development  of  the  commercial  side  of  the 
industry.  Ample  evidences  were  offered  to 
illustrate  these  points,  among  which  was  the 
great  interest  exhibited  by  everybody  in  con- 
nection with  the  work  of  the  Electrical  Co- 
operative Improvement  Association." 

"The  individual  who  made  these  Progress 
Reports  must  have  been  well  informed  and  very 
capable,"  said  Giddings. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  replied  Tom.  "He  possessed 
remarkable  ability,  which  was  continually 
stimulated  and  highly  cultivated  by  broad 
experience.  For  years  he  had  been  associated 
with  a  large  prosperous  technical  newspaper, 
which  had  gained  and  maintained  an  enviable 
reputation  for  its  technical  reports.  The  elec- 
trical companies  in  the  United  States  owe  a  debt 


304  LOOKING  FORWARD 

of  gratitude  to  the  technical  press  for  the  many 
years  and  the  very  successful  manner  in  which 
important  engineering  problems  have  been 
promulgated  and  agitated.  They  were  one  of 
the  first  organizations  to  -approve  and  offer 
hearty  support  to  the  Cooperative  Electrical 
Improvement  Association,  and  it  may  be  said  in 
their  praise,  that  the  very  successful  start  which 
that  valuable  Association  made,  was  due  in  no 
small  measure,  to  the  assistance  from  the 
Technical  Press." 

"Well,"  said  Giddings,  "I  have  been  very 
glad  indeed  to  know  all  about  this  great 
cooperative  plan  having  to  do  with  the  electrical 
industry,  from  its  start  to  this  present  time." 

Shortly  after,  Giddings  retired,  but  Tom 
wandered  out  on  the  piazza  for  a  few  moments 
before  going  to  bed.  He  had  hardly  closed  the 
screen  door  when  a  great  illumination  display 
could  be  seen  across  the  sky.  It  was  one  of  the 
large  searchlights  on  the  through  trains  which 
were  nowadays  equipped  with  signals  for  night 
running,  to  thoroughly  protect  all  travelers. 

As  he  looked  out  upon  those  wonderful 
illumination  effects,  there  passed  through  his 
mind  the  marvelous  character  of  electrical  work 
which  was  going  on  in  the  world,  and  he  was 
glad  that  an  organization  had  been  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  keeping  the  people  informed 
about  electrical  matters. 

The  train  had  passed  on,  and,  with  a  last 
glance  out  over  the  quiet  meadow  city,  he  turned 
and  walked  into  the  house.  The  Co-operative 
Electrical  Improvement  Association  was  destined 
to  live  long  after  his  usefulness  would  have 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


At  last  the  happy  day  had  arrived,  and  the 
with  a  dear,  blue  sky.  It  was 
for  Evelyn  and  EethyL  They 
up  and  dressed  at  an  early  hour,  and  the 
first  thing  Evelyn  did  was  to  call  Eethyl  on  the 
'phone  and  congratulate  her  upon  the  weather. 
Tom  and  Charlie  Kingsley  were  happy  fellows, 
and  each  thought  himself  to  be  the  luckiest 
person  in  the  world. 

At  an  early  hour,  Tom  came  rushing  through 
Ac  hall  to  the  dining-room  door  at  the  Tyler 
home,  where  he  was  brought  to  a  standstill 
abruptly,  when  the  girl  of  his  choice  plunged 
gracefully  into  his  arms,  making  no  effort  to 
conceal  the  joy  and  happhiean  which  she  felt 
Having  shaken  hands,  and  received  a  cordial 
Father  and  Mother  Tyler,  they 
the  decorations  and  details 
of  the  wedding  ceremony.  The  trophies  for  the 
DnoesmaiuS  and  best  men  were  inspect ed  and 
aproved,  and  the  hour  set  for  the  rehearsal. 
The  floral  decorations  had  been  received,  and 
friends  were  just  returning  from  the  woods 
where  beautiful  specimens  of  natural  flowers 
had  been  gathered.  The  bay-window  in  the 
had  been  selected  as  the  exact 


306  LOOKING  FORWARD 

location  for  the  ceremony,  and  they  all  set  to 
work  decorating  this  bay  for  the  first  celebration 
of  its  kind. 

By  eleven  o'clock  the  decorations  had  been 
finished,  and  Tom  left  for  the  city,  promising 
to  return  promptly  after  lunch  for  the  rehearsal, 
which  would  take  place  at  two  o'clock.  He 
boarded  the  electric  car  in  front  of  the  house, 
and,  in  about  ten  minutes,  had  reached  the  main 
street,  or  so-called  "  shop-row. " 

He  had  just  alighted  from  the  car  when  some- 
one grabbed  him  by  the  'arm.  Turning  around 
he  saw  it  was  Sheldon.  In  a  second  Tom's  eyes 
were  ablaze  with  anger,  but  intuitively  he  held 
back  any  rash  words,  for  there  was  a  new  light 
in  Frank  Sheldon's  eyes.  A  marked  change  was 
easily  noted  in  his  demeanor. 

"Tom,"  he  said,  "come  over  to  the  club  a 
moment  and  give  me  one  final  opportunity  to 
explain."  The  tone  was  submissive  and  was  an 
appeal  that  Tom  could  not  deny.  So  they  went 
over  to  the  Club,  and  there  Sheldon  told  him 
all  about  his  last  attempt  on  board  the  sub- 
marine boat  to  destroy  them,  if  possible;  how 
he  had  been  severely  burned  and  had  received 
an  awful  cut  in  the  head  where  he  had  fallen. 
Then  the  days  and  days  in  the  hospital  at 
Venice,  when,  lingering  between  life  and  death, 
he  had  been  led  to  see  the  awfulness  of  his 
deeds,  and  earnestly  prayed  that  God  would  help 
him  to  start  afresh.  From  that  date,  there  was 
a  change  in  his  condition,  and  he  commenced  to 
improve,  and  finally  was  well  enough  to  leave. 
He  said  that  upon  his  return  he  found  that  his 
father  had  died,  and  he  and  his  mother  had 
been  left  penniless.  He  asked  Tom  to  forgive 
him,  that  he  might  haye  a  clear  conscience,  and 


THE  WEDDING  307 

again  face  the  world  for  an  uphill  struggle  to 
make  a  man  of  himself. 

He  held  out  his  hand,  which  Tom  clasped, 
and  promised  him  that  he  would  explain  it  all 
to  Evelyn,  whom  he  knew  would  willingly 
extend  her  sympathies  to  him. 

This  was  the  last  Tom  ever  saw  or  heard  of 
Sheldon.  He  stopped  to  make  a  few  small  pur- 
chases; also  met  Charlie  Kingsley  and  they 
went  in  to  secure  their  marriage  licenses,  after 
which  they  went  back  to  the  Tyler  mansion  to 
take  quite  a  prominent  part  in  the  rehearsal. 

Promptly  at  two  o'clock,  a  switch  was  turned 
in  the  music-room,  and  the  strains  of  Mendels- 
sohn's Wedding  March  made  them  all  realize 
that  only  a  few  hours  remained  before  the  four 
young  people  would  become  inseparably  joined 
for  companionship  through  the  swift  gliding 
years  of  life.  Amidst  the  happy  thoughts  of 
those  who  keenly  enjoyed  the  entertainment 
were  mingled  the  sad  feelings  of  father,  mother 
and  friends  who  could  not  help  but  think  that 
the  occasion,  after  all,  meant  -a  loss  to  them.  The 
girl  who  had  been  with  them  through  all  the 
years  of  babyhood,  childhood  and  early  woman- 
hood, would  be  with  them  no  longer.  She  was 
leaving  them  to  become  a  part  of  a  new  home.  It 
is  true  that  she  would  come  home  for  occasional 
visits,  for  Thanksgiving,  Christmas  and  other 
holidays,  but  she  would  not  be  with  them  each 
day  at  breakfast,  lunch,  and  dinner;  the  even- 
ings, on  Sundays  and  in  and  out,  living  amongst 
them  as  in  the  old  days.  Yes,  indeed,  she  would 
]be  missed,  and  on  the  faces  of  those  who  dearly 
loved  her,  the  appearance  of  tears  was  plainly 
visible.  But  the  day  had  now  come,  and  the 
party  made  every  effort  to  enjoy  the  remaining 


308  LOOKING  FORWARD 

hours  as  much  as  possible.  Much  fun  was  dis- 
played in  matching  up  the  couples,  the  young 
girls  exhibiting  some  embarrassment  in  disclosing 
their  identity  with  certain  young  men,  and 
many  were  the  blushings  and  hiding  of  faces 
during  that  memorable  afternoon. 

The  procession  finally  started,  winding  its 
way  down  the  front  stairs  through  the  lower  hall. 
Evelyn  and  Father  Tyler  were  ahead  with 
Eethyl  and  her  father  following.  In  the  bay- 
window,  under  the  wedding  bell,  the  minister 
awaited  them,  and  Tom  and  Charlie  were  near 
him,  ready  to  take  their  rightful  places  at  the 
side  of  those  sweet  young  girls  whose  happiness 
would  this  day  be  assured  by  association  with 
such  reliable  -and  honorable  young  fellows. 

The  afternoon  passed,  and  with  the  evening 
came  the  actual  ceremony,  which  was  reported 
in  the  local  papers  of  Northington.  Below  is  an 
account  of  the  wedding,  as  it  was  copied  from 
a  clipping  taken  from  the  Northington  Gazette, 
morning  issue  of  November  30th,  1912. 

DOUBLE  WEDDING. 

APPLETON-TYLER — KINGSLEY-APPLETON. 

About  one  hundred  guests  were  present  at  the 
residence  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horman  Tyler,  Thurs- 
day evening,  when  their  daughter,  Evelyn,  was 
married  to  Mr.  Tom  Appleton,  formerly  of 
Northington,  for  many  years  at  Millville,  but 
now  a  resident  of  New  York  City. 

The  sister  of  the  bridegroom,  Miss  Eethyl 
Appleton,  was  also  married,  at  the  same  time, 
to  Mr.  Charles  Kingsley,  a  former  resident 
of  this  city. 


THE  WEDDING  309 

About  seven  o'clock  Mendelssohn's  Wedding 
March  was  beautifully  rendered  by  the  Telhar- 
monium,  and  the  bridal  party  entered  the  parlor 
where  the  ceremony  was  performed.  The  brides 
and  grooms  were  joined  in  matrimony  under 
the  marriage  bell,  which  decorated  the  old  bay- 
window. 

The  ceremony  was  performed  with  a  ring,  and 
Reverend  F.  T.  Pomerell  officiated. 

Miss  Tyler  was  beautifully  gowned  in  white 
India  silk,  and  her  bridesmaid  was  Miss  Clara 
Newman  of  Chicago. 

Miss  Appleton  presented  a  lovely  appearance 
in  a  gown  of  Canary  silk,  her  cousin,  Miss  White 
of  this  city,  acting  as  bridesmaid. 

Mr.  Cameron,  of  Millville,  was  best  man  to 
Mr.  Appleton,  while  Mr.  Devereaux  acted  as  best 
man  to  Mr.  Kingsley. 

Charles  Marlow  and  Henry  Hartwell  were 
ushers. 

There  was  a  large  num'ber  of  valuable  presents. 
The  two  happy  couples  left  on  the  nine  o'clock 
train  for  the  South,  where  they  will  remain  for 
several  weeks. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  both  of  these 
young  ladies  were  graduated  from  South  Holley 
Falls  College  this  past  year,  having  secured  the 
degree  of  electrical  engineer. 

The  career  of  Tom  Appleton  is  well  known 
here  in  Northington,  and  his  recent  new  position 
in  New  York  City  was  well  deserved.  The  peo- 
ple of  this  city  all  join  in  wishing  these  two 
couples  the  greatest  amount  of  happiness. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

TWENTY-FIVE    YEARS    AFTER. 

Shortly  after  their  return  from  the  South, 
Tom  and  Evelyn  were  one  evening  sitting  alone 
in  their  parlor.  Evelyn  had  been  reading  over 
again  the  story  of  Edward  Bellamy's  "Looking 
Backward. ' ' 

She  had  just  stopped  at  the  point  where 
Julian  West  had  fitted  up  that  wonderful  sub- 
terranean room  as  a  sleeping  chamber,  when 
Tom  asked  her  to  read  that  again.  She  started 
reading,  therefore,  as  follows: 

"This  was  the  sleeping  chamber  I  had  built 
under  the  foundations.  I  could  not  have  slept 
in  the  city  at  all,  with  its  never-ceasing  nightly 
noises,  if  I  had  been  obliged  to  use  an  upstairs 
chamber,  but  to  this  subterranean  room  no  mur- 
mur ever  penetrated.  When  I  had  entered  it  and 
closed  the  door,  I  was  surrounded  by  the  silence 
of  the  tomb.  In  order  to  prevent  the  dampness 
of  the  sub-soil  from  penetrating  the  chamber, 
the  walls  had  been  laid  in  hydraulic  cement,  and 
were  very  thick,  and  the  floor  was  likewise 
protected.  In  order  that  the  room  might  serve 
also  as  a  vault  equally  proof  against  violence 
and  flames,  for  the  storage  of  valuables,  I  had 
roofed  it  with  stone  slabs  hermetically  sealed, 
and  the  outer  door  was  of  iron,  with  a  thick 
coating  of  asbestos.  A  small  pipe,  communi- 

310 


THE  LATE    EDWARD  BELLAMY 


TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AFTER     311 

eating  with  a  windmill  on  the  top  of  the  house, 
insured  the  renewal  of  air." 

" There's  the  point,"  interrupted  Tom.  "If 
Bellamy  were  planning  for  Julian  West  in  1912, 
he  would  have  said,  that  an  electric  motor  was 
connected  to  an  electric  exhaust  fan,  which  in- 
sured the  renewal  of  air  to  the  chamber. ' ' 

Evelyn  had  read  on  to  Page  40  where  Julian 
West  was  again  himself,  physically,  after 
awakening  in  the  year  2000,  or  113  years  after 
1887.  Where  Tom  interrupted  again  Evelyn 
had  read,  "The  impressions  of  amazement  and 
curiosity  which  my  new  surroundings  produced, 
occupied  my  mind.  For  the  time  the  memory 
of  my  former  life  was,  as  it  were,  in  abeyance. 
After  Dr.  Leete  had  responded  to  numerous 
questions  on  my  part,  as  to  the  ancient  land- 
marks I  missed,  and  the  new  ones  which  had 
replaced  them,  he  asked  me  what  point  of  the 
contrast  between  the  new  and  the  old  city  struck 
me  most  forcibly. ' ' 

Julian  West  responded  as  follows,  "I  really 
think  that  the  complete  absence  of  chimneys  and 
their  smoke  is  the  detail  that  first  impressed 
me." 

"You  see,"  said  Tom,  "that  Bellamy's  ideas 
are  carried  out  in  San  Francisco.  You  remem- 
ber when  we  were  there  I  showed  you  how  com- 
pletely they  had  abandoned  chimneys.  Elec- 
tricity has  been  the  means  of  meeting  many  of 
Bellamy's  ideas." 

"Yes,"  said  Evelyn,  "and  in  England  we 
heard  of  so  many  new  houses  having  been  built 
without  chimneys.  Also  throughout  the  South- 
ern States  of  America,  chimneys  are  no  more, 
and  electric  heat  has  replaced  coal  and  gas.  I 
wonder  if  Bellamy  expected  that_in_twenty-five 


312  LOOKING  FORWARD 

years,  so  many  of  his  prophecies  would  come 
true?" 

Evelyn  read  on,  and  had  reached  page  43, 
with  the  following  description  by  Bellamy : ' '  The 
apartment  in  which  we  found  the  wife  and 
daughter  of  my  host,  as  well  as  the  entire 
interior  of  the  house,  was  filled  with  a  mellow 
light,  which  I  knew  must  be  artificial,  although 
I  could  not  discover  the  source  from  which  it 
was  diffused." 

"  Those  words  were  written  by  Bellamy  in 
1887,"  said  Tom.  "I  am  curious  to  know  what 
he  would  think  of  the  marvelous  progress  in  the 
art  of  lighting  in  1912.  Twenty-five  years  have 
produced  most  wonderful  improvements  in 
artificial  lighting  by  electricity." 

She  had  continued  to  read  as  far  as  page  66, 
when  Tom  again  interrupted:  "That  is  interest- 
ing, please  read  it  over!" 

So  Evelyn  read,  "As  an  individual's  satis- 
faction during  his  term  of  service  depends  on  his 
having  an  occupation  to  his  taste,  parents  and 
teachers  watch  from  early  years  for  indications 
of  special  aptitudes  in  children.  A  thorough 
study  of  the  National  industrial  system,  with  the 
history  and  rudiments  of  all  the  great  trades,  is 
an  essential  part  of  our  educational  system. 
While  manual  training  is  not  allowed  to 
encroach  upon  the  general  intellectual  culture, 
to  which  our  schools  are  devoted,  it  is  carried 
far  enough  to  give  our  youth,  in  addition  to 
their  theoretical  knowledge  of  the  national 
industries,  mechanical  and  agricultural,  a 
certain  familiarity  with  their  tools  and  methods. 
Our  schools  are  constantly  visiting  our  work- 
shops and  often  are  taken  on  long  excursions  to 
inspect  particular  industrial  enterprises." 


TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AFTER     313 

1  'There,"  said  Tom,  "I  told  you  about  the 
great  strides  of  the  Millville  Schools,  and  the 
aggressive  administration  of  Mr.  A.  L.  Roland 
as  President  of  the  Board.  I  guess  that  Bell- 
amy would  be  pleased  if  he  could  n'ow  step  in 
and  see  the  progress  that  has  been  made." 

Evelyn  again  read  on  to  a  point  in  regard  to 
hours  of  labor  for  workmen,  which  interested 
Tom  greatly.  It  read  as  follows:  "The  hours 
of  labor  in  different  trades  differ  'according  to 
their  arduousness.  The  lighter  trades,  prosecuted 
under  the  most  agreeable  circumstances,  have 
the  longest  hours,  while  an  arduous  trade  has 
very  short  hours." 

Here  Tom  said,  "Evelyn,  I  wish  Bellamy 
could  have  lived  to  see  the  universal  Saturday 
half-holiday.  It  would  have  done  his  heart 
good  to  see  the  splendid  manner  in  which  the 
laboring  men  utilize  their  privileges  on  Satur- 
day afternoons." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Evelyn,  "the  laboring 
men  of  the  country  have  become  vastly  more 
intelligent  in  the  past  twenty-five  years." 

"I  admit  it,"  replied  Tom,  "but  electricity 
has  been  the  most  potent  factor  toward  the 
better  condition  of  the  working  men.  Factories 
with  healthful  light,  pure  air  and  improved 
machines,  have  benefited  the  average  workmen. 
On  the  railroad,  the  electric  hoist,  shovel,  work- 
car  and  spike  driver,  have  educated  the  railroad 
laborers.  In  twenty-five  years  electric  labor- 
saving  devices,  have  increased  with  remarkable 
rapidity,  and  the  working  men  have  learned  to 
operate'  electrical  machinery,  gaining  not  only 
higher  wages,  but  also  by  snorter  hours.  Many 
of  the  so-called  laborers  of  Bellamy's  day  are 
now  electrical  and  mechanical  engineers,  due  to 


314  LOOKING  FORWARD 

the  influence  which  labor-saving  devices  have 
had  upon  their  lives. 

As  Evelyn  read  on,  Tom  listened  with  interest, 
and  noted  particularly  what  Bellamy  said  about 
the  choosing  of  a  profession  in  the  year  2000. 
"It  is  for  the  man  to  choose  in  accordance  with 
his  natural  'tastes,  whether  he  will  fit  himself 
for  an  art  or  profession,  or  be  a  farmer  or 
mechanic.  The  schools  of  technology,  of 
medicine,  of  art,  of  music,  of  histrionics,  and 
of  higher  liberal  learning,  are  always  open  to 
aspirants  without  condition. " 

"At  this  point,"  said  Tom,  "we  are  both 
agreed  that  the  profession  of  music  has  under- 
gone a  radical  change.  There  is  no  excuse  today 
for  children  spending  an  hour  a  day  practising 
on  a  piano,  or  violin,  or  any  string  or  brass 
instrument,  when  the  Telharmonium  has  proven 
so  successful.  I  wish  that  Bellamy  could  be 
here  with  us  tonight  and  talk  over  these  matters. 
Surely  he  did  not  believe  that  in  1912  instead 
of  the  year  2000,  you  and  I  could  reach  over 
to  a  side  wall  switch,  and  secure  music  by  simply 
turning  a  handle." 

"Yes,  this  point  is  exceedingly  interesting," 
said  Evelyn,  "but  Bellamy  was  clear  in  his 
mind  on  this  subject,  even  though  he  may  not 
have  expected  that  it  would  come  to  pass  in 
1912.  See  what  he  says,  "I  followed  her  into 
an  apartment  finished,  without  hangings,  in 
wood,  with  a  floor  of  polished  wood.  I  was 
prepared  for  new  devices  in  musical  instruments, 
but  I  saw  nothing  in  the  room,  which  by  any 
stretch  of  imagination  could  be  conceived  as 
such.  It  was  evident  that  my  puzzled  appear- 
ance was  affording  intense  amusement  to  Edith. 
*  Please  look  at  today's  music/  she  said,  'and 


TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AFTER     315 

tell  me  what  you  would  prefer. '  The  card  bore 
the  date  September  12,  2000,  and  contained  the 
longest  programme  of  music  I  had  ever  seen. 
It  was  as  various  as  it  was  long,  including  a 
most  extraordinary  range  of  vocal  and  instru- 
mental solos,  duets,  quartettes,  and  various 
orchestral  combinations. ' ' 

' '  How  much  that  sounds  like  the  writings  and 
descriptions  about  the  Telharmonium/ '  said 
Tom,  "and  again  the  electrical  industry  has 
produced  Bellamy's  idea.  The  difference  is  that 
the  Telharmonium  plan  is  much  less  expensive 
than  Bellamy's  telephonic  scheme,  and  is  in 
commercial  use  in  the  year  1912  instead  of  the 
year  2000. " 

When  Evelyn  had  reached  page  106,  she  said, 
"We  saw  in  San  Francisco,  the  large  central 
warehouses  of  the  merchants,  the  distributing 
tubes  and  electric  delivery  wagons.  Those  con- 
ditions tally  very  closely  with  the  Bellamy  store 
plans. ' ' 

Tom  was  deep  in  thought,  and  finally  said, 
* '  I  remember  in  the  first  few  pages  of  Bellamy 's 
book,  I  think,  page  15,  he  refers  to  building  a 
house  for  himself  and  his  intended  bride.  The 
strikes  of  those  times  delayed  its  construction, 
and  on  May  30,  1887,  when  he  entered  his  long 
sleep  of  113  years,  the  house  was  still  unfinished. 
I  was  thinking  about  how  it  would  have  been 
lighted ;  probably  by  kerosene  lamps,  and  heated 
by  coal  stoves.  What  a  marvelous  change  these 
twenty-five  years  have  brought  about.  If  Bell- 
amy should  walk  into  our  house  tonight,  and  see 
the  illumination,  the  electric  heating  system  and 
my  workshop,  he  would  go  home  and  write 
another  book  entitled  'Twenty-five  Years  After,' 


316  LOOKING  FORWARD 

or  what  electricity  has  done  for  the  people  since 
1887." 

Evelyn  straightened  up  with  vigor  and  vim, 
"Hold  on,"  she  said,  "I  have  been  holding 
back  page  119  for  this  very  moment.  Bellamy 
says  there  that  'Electricity,  of  course,  takes  the 
place  of  all  fires  and  lighting/  ! 

"Yes,  that  is  good,"  replied  Tom,  "and  I 
like  what  he  says  about  the  problem  of  domestic 
service.  In  1912  we  are  not  doing  it  exactly 
the  way  he  planned  for  the  year  2000,  but  it 
closely  approaches  an  ideal  kitchen  arrange- 
ment. He  says  'we  choose  houses  no  larger 
than  we  need,  and  furnish  them  so  as  to  involve 
the  minimum  amount  of  trouble  to  keep  them  in 
order/  Now  the  electric  kitchen  cabinet 
permits  of  a  small  pantry  and  a  small  kitchen. 
It  is  one  cabinet  taking  the  place  of  a  large 
pantry,  a  large  kitchen,  a  coal  stove,  a  gas  range, 
and  an  ordinary  table,  and  the  kitchen  girl  is 
now  a  cultivated,  highly  intelligent  domestic 
electrician.  Our  washing  is  done  by  an  electric 
washing  machine ;  the  ironing  is  made  quick  and 
clean,  and  the  cooking  is  without  coal,  ashes,  dirt, 
dust  or  trouble.  Surely  Bellamy  would  say  we 
are  wise  in  our  generation,  and  in  some  respects, 
perhaps,  are  bettering  his  plans." 

"On  page  164,"  said  Evelyn,  "is  the  following 
'The  highest  of  all  honors  in  the  nation,  higher 
than  the  presidency,  which  calls  merely  for  good 
sense  and  devotion  to  duty,  is  the  red  ribbon 
awarded  by  the  vote  of  the  people  to  the  great 
authors,  artists,  engineers,  physicians  and 
inventors  of  the  generation.'  3 

"Yes,"  Tom  said,  "that  is  a  point  of  great 
interest.  I  was  glad  to  see  the  question  raised 
this  year,  as  the  people  showed  their  very  great 


TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  AFTER        317 

pride  in  the  electrical  engineers  of  this  country, 
and  emphasized  very  strongly  the  valuable  part 
they  had  played  in  the  past  quarter  of  a  century, 
in  the  affairs  of  our  Nation. ' ' 

''Referring  to  pages  187  to  191,"  said  he, 
"the  industrial  army  and  its  ten  great  officers, 
do  not  exist  as  yet,  exactly  as  Bellamy  outlined, 
but  the  President  of  the  United  States,  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  has  been  a  people 's  man,  and  many  of 
his  fearless  acts  against  large  corporations, 
trusts,  etc.,  have  led  the  people  to  believe  in  the 
dawn  of  a  new  era.  The  seed  has  been  sown  for 
an  industrial  harvest  in  which  the  barns  of  the 
people  will  be  liberally  well  stocked. ' ' 

"Further  than  that,"  said  Tom,  "when 
Theodore  Roosevelt  was  elected  in  1908,  almost 
by  acclamation,  it  was  well  known  among  the 
people  that  their  rights  would  be  protected; 
and  in  selecting  a  candidate  for  the  next  Presi- 
dent, the  utmost  care  was  exercised  that  he 
should  be  a  man  representative  of  the  people,  in 
whose  hands  the  interests  of  the  people  would 
be  safe-guarded." 

As  Evelyn  closed  the  book,  they  dwelt  upon 
the  universal  liberality  of  employers,  manu- 
facturers and  railroad  executives  toward  long- 
service  men;  reference  was  made  to  the  large 
numbers  being  continually  pensioned  as  their 
days  of  usefulness  were  almost  ended. 

Tom  called  attention  to  the  date  of  May  30, 
Decoration  Day  in  the  year  2000.  They 
wondered  what  kind  of  a  procession  would 
parade  the  streets,  and  of  what  event  it  would 
be  commemorative.  They  referred  to  the 
Decoration  Day  of  1912  when  such  a  small 
number  of  the  old  Civil  War  Veterans  were  in 
line,  and  the  few  short  years  to  pass  when  all  of 


318  LOOKING  FORWARD 

them  would  march  together  once  more,  free 
from  old  age,  with  its  attendant  cares  and 
troubles,  and  assured  of  peace  and  happiness 
during  all  eternity. 

It  was  midnight,  and  as  the  reader  is  planning 
soon  to  say  good-night  to  Tom  and  Evelyn,  with 
the  ending  of  the  chapter,  their  youthful 
appearance  indicates  that  with  good  luck  and 
health  they  will  be  living  in  1937,  and  will  see 
the  dawn  of  a  half  century  added  to  the  year 
1887.  Their  chances  are  fair,  also,  for  existence 
here  on  earth  in  the  year  1962,  or  seventy-five 
years  after.  Yea,  let  us  hope  that  by  means  of 
electricity,  there  may  be  discovered  an  elixir 
of  life,  which  will  prolong  the  years  of  these 
two  young  people,  and  with  the  full  exercise  of 
their  physical  and  mental  powers,  may  they  be 
living  to  enjoy  the  ideal  conditions  prophesied 
for  the  year  2000  by  Edward  Bellamy. 

THE  END, 


AUTHOR'S  NOTE. 

Reference  is  frequently  made  in  this  book  to  the  Elec- 
tric Heating  System  for  residences  and  buildings  in 
general,  in  the  year  1912.  The  author  fully  believes 
that  the  Electric  Heating  System  will  be  quite  com- 
monly used,  by  that  date;  and  adopted,  to  a  limited 
extent  much  sooner,  especially  in  the  Southern  States, 
the  Pacific  Coast,  certain  sections  of  England,  and 
wherever  the  average  temperature,  during  all  seasons 
is  high. 

The  author  further  believes  that  the  Electric  Heating 
System  will  be  used,  considerably,  even  in  the  colder 
climates,  in  the  North,  where  the  conditions  of  the 
business  of  many  electrical  companies  will  permit  of  a 
very  low  price  for  current;  for  example,  a  large  water 
power  plant;  or  isolated  plants,  furnishing  current  for 
large  estates;  or  for  ocean  liners,  and  lake  boats. 

Experience  in  his  own  house,  coupled  with  a  consid- 
erable study  of  the  subject,  leads  the  author  to  believe 
the  foregoing  statements  are  fair  and  reasonable. 

Readers  may  be  interested  in  the  following  quotation 
from  "The  New  Knowledge,"  by  Robert  Kennedy  Dun- 
can, a  book  published  about  a  'year  ago. 

"It  has  been  playfully  suggested  by  Prof.  Rutherford 
that  some  day  it  might  be  possible  to  construct  a  deto- 
nator which  would  send  a  wave  of  atomic  disintegration 
through  the  earth,  and  decompose  the  whole  round 
world  into  helium,  argon  and  other  gases,  leaving  liter- 
ally not  one  stone  upon  another. 

"Without  being  frightened  by  any  such  humorous 
suggestion  as  this,  we  can  easily  grant  that  with  the 
continuous  acceleration  of  scientific  research,  where  one 
year  of  the  present  counts  for  a  cycle  of  former  time, 
there  will  come  a  day  in  the  unending  succession  of 
days,  when  men  will  look  with  mingled  horror  and 
Hmuseinent,  at  the  burning  of  coal  and  wood,  and  will 
date  the  coming  in  of  their  kingdom,  to  the  time  when 
Curie  and  Laborde  demonstrated  the  existence  and  ex- 
tent of  interatomic  energy." 

To  any  readers  who  are  inclined  to  doubt  the  possi- 
bility of  using  light  in  the  many  ways  the  author  has 
suggested  and  imagined,  I  would  call  their  attention 
again  to  Mr.  Duncan's  book,  "The  New  Knowledge," 
pages  193  to  257,  Readers  who  are  particularly  inter- 
319 


ested  in  the  subjects  of  light  and  heat,  would,  I  am  sure, 
enjoy  reading  "The  New  Knowledge." 

Many  readers  will  be  curious  to  know  what  electricity 
is,  and  the  following  quotations  from  "The  New  Knowl- 
edge" may  satisfy  such  curiosity. 

"What  positive  electricity  is,  nobody  knows.  *  *  * 
It  seems  to  exist  in  the  form  of  particles,  the  size  of 
atoms.  In  fact,  the  size  of  the  atom  seems  to  deter- 
mine the  size  of  the  electricity  connected  with  it." 

"Negative  electricity  is  particulate  in  character;  that 
is,  it  consists  of  separate  definite  units.  These  units, 
if  they  could  be  obtained  in  a  state  of  rest,  would,  it  is 
deemed,  have  no  mass  whatever.  Whether  under  these 
conditions  they  would  have  spatial  dimension,  is  not 
known."  , 

"A  moving  unit  of  negative  electricity,  together  with 
its  bound  ether,  has  a  corpuscle.  The  mass  of  a  cor- 
puscle depends  upon  the  amount  of  bound  ether  con- 
nected with  the  moving  unit,  and  this  depends  upon  the 
velocity.  The  average  mass  of  a  corpuscle  is  about  one 
one-thousandth  of  that  of  a  hydrogen  atom." 

"An  electric  current  is  nothing  but  a  series  of  cor- 
puscles 'handed  along*  from  one  atom  to  another, 
through  the  wire.  At  the  beginning  of  their  course, 
there  is  a  deficiency  of  corpuscles,  and  the  positive  elec- 
tricity of  the  atoms  thus  appears.  At  the  end  there  is 
a  gain  in  the  corpuscles,  and  the  negative  electricity  is 
manifested."  ,  , 

"Magnetism  is  a  force  developed  at  right  angles  to 
the  direction  of  motion  of  the  moving  corpuscle." 

31.  W.  HILLMAN. 


320 


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